'I'm Not Surprised,' Nanny Says Of 8-Year-Old's Death

CENTER MORICHES, NY — A former nanny of 8-year-old Thomas Valva, who police say died after he was forced to sleep in a frigid garage in Center Moriches, spoke out on social media Friday.

"It breaks my heart to say I'm not surprised. I worked for this family and I knew how cruel they could be," said Emily Gandolfo, who worked as a nanny right after college. "I was hired specifically to work with Thomas and his older brother because they were on the [autism] spectrum and needed extra care."

She added: "They were kids, they messed up sometimes and because of their disability they had a hard time understanding why what they did was not good behavior. I would disagree with Angela; their behavior was not bad. They would even listen in on my conversations with the children when I would try and tell them it was going to be okay. But to lock a child in 19 degree temps overnight — I'm disgusted."

RELATED: NYPD Dad Charged In Frigid-Garage Death Of Boy, 8: Cops

Gandolfo, who made the comments on Facebook, said she took the children on nature walks and hikes and let them enjoy free time. "They always listened to me because I made sure to treat them kindly," she said.

On Friday, Suffolk County homicide detectives arrested two people in connection with the death of Thomas: his father, NYPD officer Michael Valva, 40, and Valva's fiancée, Angela Pollina, 42, of 11 Bittersweet Lane in Center Moriches. Both were charged with second-degree murder, police said. Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said Thomas officially died of hypothermia, according to the Suffolk County Medical Examiner.

"We believe that he was kept in the garage overnight preceding his death," Hart said, adding that when he was found, the boy's body temperature was 76 degrees and he had head and facial injuries that did not align with Valva's account of what had happened.

Hart said the belief is that at least two of Valva's children were exposed to abuse including possible starvation and "exposure to extremely frigid temperatures. We are still investigating the extent of the abuse."

Police are still investigating whether other children were also held in the freezing garage — Valva and Pollina share custody of three boys and three girls — and whether Thomas was kept there longer than one night, Hart said. Michael Valva conducted CPR on his son in the basement; the garage, which is unheated and unfinished, is attached to the house, Hart said.

The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said it has an audiotape made on the morning that Thomas was found. Valva told police his son had died after falling on the driveway on Jan. 17, police said.

"I've heard it for myself and I can't describe it with words," District Attorney Tim Sini said of the audio. "The depravity of these defendants is shocking. They caused the death of this little boy and then they watched him die and during that, not only showed no regard for his life, but also, a callousness I've certainly never seen in my time as a prosecutor or a police commissioner."

Sini said evidence suggests that two of the children living in the home, Thomas and another boy on the autism spectrum, were forced at times to sleep in the garage.

The DA's audio recording, taken from a home security system, picked up Pollina's voice saying, "What are you doing?" and Michael Valva then stating, "I'm suffocating him," the DA's office said. Pollina responded, "Take your hand off his mouth; there are people around," Sini said.

Speaking out on Thomas' death, Gandolfo said: "That poor sweet boy did not deserve this — no matter what 'punishment' they thought he deserved. And the worst part is that only the two oldest boys were treated like this. The girls were always treated like angels and the youngest boy was always treated well, too. But to treat two autistic children like this?"

When she heard Thomas had died, she wrote on social media: "I remember Thomas. I remember how shy and hesitant he was about me when we first met. I remember giving him space to allow him warm up to me on his time. I remember the first time I made him laugh at the park by pulling out my hula hoops and pretending they were space ships. I also remember the anger, the fear, and the emotion behind that little boy."

She added: "Eight years old is too young to be taken from this earth. My heart aches today for Thomas, his brothers and his family."

The questions linger, Gandolfo said. "I know this isn’t my fault but when these things come to light I can’t help but feel like there was something more I could have done."

Looking ahead, she said, "I will forever speak up for these children who don’t have a voice."