The former fiancée of an ex-New York Police officer convicted of killing his 8-year-old son last year took the stand Tuesday in her own trial for the death of Thomas Valva.
Angela Pollina was charged with second degree murder and child abuse in the death of the boy, who had autism, in 2020.
The little boy and his brother were forced to sleep in a freezing garage in January of that year as temperatures plunged below zero. Thomas froze to death, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
His father, Michael Valva, was sentenced to 25 years to life for the boy’s murder in December.
Pollina has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her, and her attorney, Matt Tuohy, said that she will be the only witness he calls, WABC reported.
“She didn’t commit the murder, she had no part of it, and she tried to help him,” Tuohy said.
Pollina testified to seeing Valva spraying the boy down with a hose on the day of his death. Then, she said, “Thomas was on the floor and Mike was over him. And I said, ‘Get your hand off his mouth.'”
She testified that Thomas didn’t appear to be in “immediate danger,” although she brough blankets out to him in the garage.
Prosecutors content that Pollina didn’t care about the boy and will likely be asking why she waited until Thomas was found unresponsive the next morning to call 911 under cross examination.
Pollina’s testimony continues Wednesday.
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[Featured image: Thomas Valva/handout]
