A mother and grandmother face murder charges after a teen with autism starved to death, and his twin brother was found severely malnourished inside their Bronx apartment, according to police sources.
On March 19, EMS took 16-year-old Adonis Jarvis to NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln. When they found him inside the the Mott Haven apartment on East 147th Street, he weighed just 59 pounds, an investigation found.
The teen was pronounced dead at the hospital, police said. His death was ruled a homicide, with the medical examiner determining Adonis died as a result of neglect, starvation and dehydration, according to the district attorney’s office.
Investigators also found Adonis’ twin brother inside the family’s home, weighing just 60 pounds at the time. He had lost 20 pounds from his last documented doctor’s visit in Aug. 2024, the DA’s office said, and was severely malnourished.
Both brothers were covered in bed sores, feces and flies, according to Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark. The brothers had been previously diagnosed with autism and had a documented history of suffering seizures. Clark said the brothers were nonverbal.
“These two defendants, the mother and grandmother of the victims are accused of the long-term starvation and neglect of their sons and grandsons,” said Clark. “Tragically, one of the boys died rom starvation. His twin brother thankfully is alive but suffering the effects of starvation and neglect. These two women failed in their duty and responsibility to care for these boys.”
On Thursday, police charged 36-year-old Geneva Jarvis and 62-year-old Denise Jarvis — the mother and grandmother of the twin boys — with murder in connection to Adonis’ death. The pair also face assault and other charges in connection with the treatment of the other twin.
Attorney information for the women was not immediately available. They are due back in court on Oct. 27.