Mom, grandmother charged with murder after Bronx teen with autism starves to death
Police say the teen and his sibling were nonverbal.
A mother and grandmother in the Bronx are under arrest and facing charges for allegedly starving a 16-year-old boy with autism to death.
Adonis Jarvis was pronounced dead at a hospital in the Bronx on March 19.
Officers were called to the hospital after he appeared to be malnourished and the Medical Examiner ruled his death a homicide.
On Thursday, his mother and grandmother, 36-year-old Geneva Jarvis and 62-year-old Denise Jarvis, were arrested on murder charges.
Officials say an autopsy revealed that the teenager was starved to death. Sources say he weighed just 60 pounds at the time of his death.
It also appears that the teen's twin brother was hospitalized for starvation but survived. Both children were described by law enforcement as nonverbal.
Police say they both exhibited signs of chronic neglect, starvation and dehydration upon arrival at the hospital and they had sores on their legs and all over their bodies.
The family lives in a third-floor walkup on East 147th Street.
The building superintendent told Eyewitness News that their apartment was filthy and uninhabitable.
"It's filled with garbage and clothes all over the place, I told her I wanted to go in the apartment to fix it, she kept saying 'OK tomorrow' and she never let us in," the super said.
Other neighbors said they never saw any red flags, but pointed out that the family kept to themselves.
Both women were arraigned on Thursday afternoon and were held without bail.
