Adonis Jarvis, 16, weighed just 59 pounds when he passed away on March 19, according to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Jarvis was autistic and nonverbal and alleged that he died from chronic neglect, starvation and dehydration. His mother, 36-year-old Geneva Jarvis, and his grandmother, 62-year-old Denise Jarvis, are being charged with murder in connection with his death.
Both of them pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday afternoon.
According to the NYPD, Geneva Jarvis is the one who brought Adonis Jarvis to NYC Health + Hospital/Lincoln, where he died. The hospital notified the police of his malnutrition.
Adonis Jarvis has a twin brother who, like him, is also autistic and nonverbal. Police said his brother is currently at a rehab facility and weighed 60 pounds when he was found.
A neighbor who works at the hospital told NY1 that Adonis Jarvis’ brother is doing well.
According to the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, both brothers were covered with bedsores, feces and flies and had a documented history of seizures.
A woman named Veronica, who lives in the building, told NY1 she had not seen the boys for about three years.
“The last time I saw them normal, they were dressed. And they were with the mother and the grandmother,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Administration for Children’s Services wrote in a statement, “The safety and well-being of New York City’s children is our top priority. We are investigating this tragic incident with the NYPD.”
The chief medical examiner deemed Adonis Jarvis’ death a homicide. Both the grandmother and the mother were ordered to stay away from the surviving twin by a judge.