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Thomas Valva

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Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney. Photo from Tierney's office

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (R), District Attorney Ray Tierney (R), Legislator Trish Bergin (R-East Islip) and Department of Social Services (DSS) officials have unveiled sweeping reforms to the county’s Child Protective Services (CPS) system in response to the tragic Thomas Valva case.

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. File photo

Under Romaine’s leadership, Suffolk County DSS has implemented measures aimed at improving services, enhancing interagency collaboration and focusing on the needs of vulnerable populations. The changes also promote open communication among stakeholders involved in social services.

“We took swift and significant action to reform the Suffolk County Department of Social Services to ensure that children in CPS are truly protected,” Romaine said. “We’ve allocated funds to fill vacancies, improve services, reform processes and ensure better training. These efforts will help prevent tragedies like the one experienced by Thomas Valva.”

District Attorney Tierney emphasized the importance of ensuring accountability. “We must never allow a tragedy like Thomas Valva’s to happen again,” he said. “I am proud of the work of the task force, in partnership with the new administration and Legislature, to enact the recommendations from the Grand Jury Report.”

Legislator Bergin echoed these sentiments, noting, “It was critical that the grand jury report not gather dust. We’ve worked diligently to implement necessary changes and ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.”

Key reforms to child protective services:

Quality improvements recognized by New York State

 The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) 2024 Program Quality Improvement Review reported substantial progress in Suffolk County’s CPS, Preventative/Protective Services and Foster Care systems. Many categories achieved a 100% compliance rate, reflecting the county’s renewed commitment to better serve families.

Implementation of blind removal policy

Suffolk County now uses a blind removal policy for CPS cases requiring a child’s removal from their family. This process excludes personal and demographic information about the child and family during decision-making, reducing potential biases.

Relocation of CPS abuse teams

CPS caseworkers investigating child abuse cases will relocate to the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in Central Islip in December. The move allows caseworkers to collaborate closely with law enforcement and attorneys during investigations.

Interagency training initiatives

Since March 2024, DSS has conducted training sessions on child protection, trauma-informed care, forensic interviewing and multidisciplinary approaches to child abuse investigations. These sessions include participation from CPS staff, Suffolk County Police and legal professionals.

Legal training enhancements

In partnership with the County Attorney’s Office, DSS has improved training for handling sensitive abuse and neglect cases. This initiative strengthens collaboration between caseworkers and legal representatives.

Integration of adult protective services

 In September 2024, Adult Protective Services (APS) was reintegrated into the Family and Children’s Services Division. This change enhances collaboration between APS and CPS, particularly for developmentally disabled youths transitioning to adult services.

Specialized training for disabilities

More than 170 DSS employees have completed training at Daemen College, focusing on understanding and addressing the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Topics included autism, ADHD and other conditions.

Multidisciplinary training

 DSS, in collaboration with state and county partners, is expanding training for frontline workers to better serve children, adults with disabilities and older adults. Training emphasizes skills for investigating, prosecuting and protecting vulnerable populations.

Supervisor training

DSS is enhancing training for supervisory staff to develop a family-centered clinical model. This approach provides middle management with advanced decision-making tools and support for caseworkers.

Improved safety and security

DSS is equipping over 600 employees with a panic button app to instantly connect with emergency services, enhancing staff safety during high-stress situations.

Support for staff wellbeing

To combat burnout and compassion fatigue, DSS is offering additional support services to employees managing trauma from child welfare cases.

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Angela Pollina. Photo from SCPD

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced on March 10 that a jury found Angela Pollina, 45, of Center Moriches, guilty of Murder in the Second Degree and other related charges, for her role in the death of her stepson, 8-year-old Thomas Valva, who died of hypothermia in 2020 after Thomas and his 10-year-old brother were forced to sleep in an unheated car garage in below-freezing temperatures.

“The cruelty that Thomas and his brother had to endure because of this defendant’s callous and selfish conduct is abhorrent, and, thankfully, the jury clearly agreed,” said District Attorney Tierney. “Her treatment of these children was nothing short of pure evil. This defendant will now face the consequences of her actions and will experience her own imprisonment just as she forced these boys to live imprisoned in a freezing garage. Unlike Thomas and his brother, Pollina deserves this punishment.”

The evidence at trial established that Pollina consciously disregarded the wellbeing of her stepsons Thomas and Anthony, and that disregard led to Thomas’ death on the morning of January 17, 2020. For months leading up to Thomas’ death, text messages were exchanged between Pollina and her fiancé Michael Valva, 45, the boys’ father, which showed Pollina’s insistence that the boys sleep in the garage of their Center Moriches home and not be allowed to use the bathrooms inside.

At Pollina’s insistence, Thomas and Anthony were forced to sleep in the garage without blankets for months prior to the incident. The night before Thomas died, he and his brother had been in the garage for 16 hours after returning from school, and spent the night there with no heat, no bathroom access, no mattress, and no blankets while in 19-degree weather. Because he was freezing to death, the next morning, Thomas had an accident and soiled his pants. Evidence submitted from a home surveillance camera captured Pollina sitting in the kitchen doing her bills, well aware of Thomas’s condition and doing nothing to help care for him. When one of the other children asked why Thomas couldn’t walk, Pollina replied, “Cause he’s hypothermic, hypothermic means you’re freezing, washing yourself in cold water when it’s freezing outside, you get hypothermic.”

The surveillance video also showed she watched Thomas being hosed down in the backyard with cold water, and took the time to reprimand his father for yelling because the neighbors might hear. Two hours later, Thomas was pronounced dead due to hypothermia.

According to his testimony at the trial, Homicide Detective Norberto Flores of the Suffolk County Police Department responded to the hospital and when he asked, “What happened?” Pollina fabricated a story that Thomas was running for the bus when he fell and hit his head.

Thomas and Anthony were living at the home with Pollina, Valva, a third brother, and Pollina’s three daughters since 2017. School employees of the East Moriches School District where Thomas and Anthony were enrolled, testified at trial that Thomas and Anthony appeared thin, ate food off the floor, took food from other children, and pulled half eaten food from the garbage. In addition, witnesses testified they would arrive at the school so soiled, that school employees could smell urine and feces on them. During the defense case, Pollina took the stand and admitted she deleted footage taken from the home’s surveillance camera and that she did not realize that exiling the brothers to the freezing garage for months was wrong until after Thomas was pronounced dead at the hospital. She admitted that the way she disciplined the boys was “evil,” but claimed it was the boys’ father who caused Thomas’ death.

On March 10,  Pollina was convicted for the crimes of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor. She is due back in court on April 11 for sentencing, and faces 25 years to life in prison.

On November 4, 2022, Pollina’s co-defendant and former fiancé Michael Valva, was found guilty of Murder in the Second Degree, a Class A felony, and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a Class A misdemeanor. He is now serving 25 years to life in prison.

### Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

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Anthony Valva

Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney today announced Michael Valva, a former New York City Police Officer, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty last month of Murder in the Second Degree for his part in the death of his 8-year-old son who died of Hypothermia in 2020.

“This is one of the most difficult and heartbreaking cases I have experienced in my nearly 30 years as a prosecutor. Thanks to the great work of my prosecutors and the SCPD, there is a small measure of justice in Michael Valva receiving the maximum sentence. However, no prison sentence is adequate for the cruel treatment this defendant inflicted on his own children,” said DA Tierney.

“The torture that killed Thomas and endangered Anthony’s welfare was nothing short of evil. Thankfully, the story of this defendant ends here, but the pursuit of justice for Thomas and Anthony continues. We will continue to do everything in our power to hold those responsible accountable for the torture and abuse of these children and also to ensure that Suffolk County has proper safeguards in place to prevent a case like this from ever happening again,” he said.

Valva, 45, was also found guilty of four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

The evidence at trial established that on the morning of January 17, 2020, Thomas and his brother Anthony had spent the night in the garage of their Center Moriches home with no heat, no bathroom access, no mattress and no blankets. After waking up on the cold cement floor of the garage, Thomas had an accident and soiled his pants.

Evidence submitted from a home surveillance camera captured Michael Valva screaming at Thomas, threatening him and then ordering him outside in the subfreezing temperature to hose him down with water which caused the child to lose consciousness and fall face first several times onto the backyard concrete paver patio.

According to testimony and evidence presented at the trial, Valva delayed calling 911 for help until approximately one hour later. By the time Thomas arrived at the hospital, his body temperature was 76.1 degrees, more than 20 degrees below normal. Additional evidence showed Thomas and his brother Anthony, who were both autistic, had been forced to sleep in the garage for months prior to the incident. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner determined that Thomas Valva died as a result of complications due to Hypothermia.

The brothers had been living at the home with a third brother, their father, his fiancé, and her three daughters since 2017. They were enrolled in the East Moriches School District. School employees testified that Thomas and Anthony appeared thin and were witnessed eating food off the floor, pulling half eaten food from the garbage and taking food from other children. In addition, witnesses testified they would arrive at the school cold, tired, in pain at times, and so soiled that employees could smell urine and feces on them.

His co-defendant and former fiancé Angela Pollina, 45, is also charged with Murder in the Second Degree and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Pollina is scheduled for trial before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Timothy P. Mazzei on February 21, 2023.

Valva’s trial was heard before Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable William J. Condon. Valva was represented by Anthony M. LaPinta, Esq., John LoTurco, Esq. and Sabato Caponi, Esq.

This case was prosecuted by Bureau Chief Kerriann Kelly and Assistant District Attorneys Laura Newcombe of the Major Crime Bureau and Assistant District Attorney James P. Scahill of the Vehicular Crime Bureau.

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