A disturbing case out of the Bronx has ended with two family members facing murder charges over the death of a teenage boy in their care. A mother and grandmother from the Mott Haven section are under arrest in what authorities describe as a horrific case of alleged child abuse.
According to prosecutors, the abuse was deadly for one child and nearly fatal for another. The two women are accused of starving the mother's 16-year-old son to death and of nearly starving his twin brother to death as well.
The victims were among the most vulnerable. Both boys were described by law enforcement as nonverbal and severely autistic, entirely dependent on the adults who were supposed to be caring for them.
The extent of their condition became clear when they reached medical care. The two were taken to Lincoln Hospital back in March, where they showed signs of chronic neglect, starvation and dehydration, with sores all over their bodies.
For one of the brothers, the help came too late. On March 19th, one of the boys, identified as Adonis Jarvis, died, while his twin brother survived the ordeal.
It was medical workers who set the investigation in motion. Hospital staff alerted police about the suspected abuse, prompting an inquiry into how the boys had reached such a dire state while in the household.
The case has now moved into the court system. A grand jury indicted both women on second-degree murder charges, along with several charges related to the son who survived, formalizing the accusations against the mother and grandmother.