A Bronx mother allegedly starved her twin sons for years, with the teens kept in isolation inside their home for years — and weighed less than 55 pounds each when found by officials.
Lissette Soto Domenech was arraigned Tuesday in Bronx Supreme Court on multiple counts of assault, reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child, and other charges, District Attorney Darcel Clark said. For nearly a decade, the 64-year-old mom subjected the two boys to conditions that led to serious injury and could have led to their deaths, according to the DA’s office.
An investigation found that starting in Nov. 2016, Domenech stopped taking the twins to doctor appointments. In Sept. 2017, she began submitting documents to the city’s Department of Education stating that she was homeschooling the boys. Those documents were false, the DA said.
After several anonymous complaints, a specialist from the Administration for Children’s Services went to the home on Mosholu Avenue in Riverdale and called 911 after finding the boys severely malnourished, according to the investigation. One of the boys weighed just 51 pounds, while the other weighed 54 pounds, and both were far below normal height for children of their age. Inside the apartment, only infant cereal, baby bottle and toddler toys were found — no food or items appropriate for the 14-year-olds.
“This defendant is accused of a shocking, horrifying form of child abuse, allegedly depriving her sons of proper food, social interaction, education, medical attention. We will do everything we can to help these boys attain a normal life,” said Clark.
One of the boys has autism, but had never been evaluated or received any services for the condition, the DA’s office said. The twins were taken to Montefiore Children’s Hospital, where they received care for three months.
Attorney information for Domenech was not immediately available. Bond was set at $75,000, and her next court appearance was scheduled for Feb. 4.