Mother, Stepfather Charged In Death Of Torrington Teen With Cerebral Palsy: PD

TORRINGTON, CT — A teen with cerebral palsy drowned alone in a bathtub last year, and now his mother and stepfather have been arrested.

Police say the 19-year-old victim, Marcos Pichardo Almonte, could not walk or stand without assistance, and he also showed signs of severe malnourishment.

Police launched an investigation into the teen’s death on Nov. 13, 2025. A relative had gone to check on him at 290 North Elm St. and found him partially submerged and unresponsive in the tub, police said.

Emergency responders pronounced the teen dead at the scene.

Investigators learned he suffered from cerebral palsy and noticed he was very thin. An autopsy showed the victim’s cause of death was drowning, police said.

Police said the teen had “extremely limited mobility” due to his cerebral palsy and could not walk or stand without help.

On the day of his death, his mother, Martha Almonte, 39, and stepfather, Jeickson Perez-Barahona, 37, left him alone while they drove to Danbury, police said.

According to police, their investigation showed the couple had “deliberately limited” the teen’s access to food by securing the refrigerator, freezer, and cabinets closed with ratchet straps and cordage.

“The basement door, where more food was stored, was screwed closed to deny Marcos' access,” police said. “The only food available to Marcos were pre-portioned amounts left out for him.”

On Nov. 9, police secured arrest warrants for Martha Almonte and Perez-Barahona. Both were taken into custody at their current residence in Stratford on Thursday.

Each is charged with cruelty to persons and criminally negligent homicide.

Both were held on $500,000 surety bonds and were scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Torrington today.