Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Monday, June 26, that a Bronx woman and her boyfriend have been charged with what was described as the horrific neglect of the woman’s two young daughters, who were found by police locked in a feces-dotted room, naked and bruised, and eating bits of a foam mattress.

Clark said, “The defendants allegedly kept these little girls in a house of horrors. They illegally occupied an apartment and left the children alone without food or clothing. Fortunately, police rescued the girls, and a nurse discovered signs of abuse for which they are being treated. The situation is beyond the pale.”

Clark said the defendants, Stephanie Grabowski, 40, and Mark Russell, 45, described as “squatters” in an apartment at 300 East 138th Street in Mott Haven were charged with two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree unlawful imprisonment, second-degree burglary, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, for conduct that occurred on or about May 3, 2023 in the apartment.

Grabowski additionally was charged with two counts of first-degree kidnapping for conduct occurring on or about and between, Nov. 14, 2023 through May 3, 2023 at 420 East 169th Street in Claremont Village, and at the 138th Street apartment.

The couple were arraigned on Monday before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Ralph Fabrizio and bail was continued for Grabowski at $150,000 cash/$400,000 bond/$400,000 partially secured bond at 10 percent, and for Russell at $100,000 cash/$200,000 bond/$200,000 partially secured bond at 10 percent. The two are due back in court on Sept. 13.

According to the indictment, on May 3, 2023 at approximately 10:30 a.m., NYPD officers from PSA 8 and field intelligence detectives were vacating a NYCHA apartment at 300 East 138th Street that had been inhabited by known squatters, who, upon entry, were determined to be Russell and Grabowski.

The apartment was described as being in a terrible condition with urine and feces about the place, and there did not appear to be sufficient food, amenities, clothing or clean diapers. It was reported that the officers observed the doorknob of a bedroom and doorknob of an adjacent closet door tied together with a ropelike cord. When they kicked in the bedroom door, they found two girls naked and bruised on a filthy, spongelike mattress on the floor, and feces, dirty diapers and garbage throughout the room. One officer observed the children eating pieces of the mattress.

Officers discovered that Grabowski had a family court warrant, after allegedly absconding from the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) in November 2022, and brought her to family court. According to the prosecution, orders of protection were issued at that time. The officers brought the children to the Children’s Advocacy Center on May 4, where a nurse examined the children and enhanced the case, alerting the NYPD Bronx Child Abuse Squad.

On May 5, the girls were examined at Jacobi Medical Center, where they were observed to have had significant bruising and marks in various stages of healing, rashes throughout their bodies, and difficulties walking, standing and speaking.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Camila Sosa and Tiffany Wichman of the child abuse/sex crimes bureau, under the supervision of Johanna Hernandez, deputy chief of the bureau, Mimi Mairs, chief of the bureau, and under the overall supervision of Adrienne Giunta, deputy chief of the special victims division, and Joseph Muroff, chief of the special victims division.

Clark thanked trial preparation assistant Ti-Aana Hylton, Bronx district attorney intelligence analyst Daniel Walker, and the Bronx DA video unit, for their assistance in the case. She also thanked NYPD Detectives Johnathon Concepcion and Christina Flores of the Bronx child abuse squad, and NYPD field intelligence officer, Detective Michael Heinz for their work in the investigation.

A person arrested and charged with a crime is deemed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

admin

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.