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Staten Island Mom Left Blind, Autistic Son Home Covered in Feces, DA Says

By Ben Fractenberg | February 23, 2017 4:31pm
 Ashley Bronte, 29, was arrested after her autistic son was found covered in feces and urine in their Staten Island home.
Ashley Bronte, 29, was arrested after her autistic son was found covered in feces and urine in their Staten Island home.
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STATEN ISLAND — A mother was arrested after her blind autistic son was found covered with dried feces and urine in their Elm Park home, according to court papers.

A neighbor was woken up on Feb. 19 at 2:30 a.m. by the sound of the 12-year-old boy banging on a window at 601 Port Richmond Ave.. She saw the child, who was naked, repeatedly strike the window with his hand and then called 911 at about 5 a.m., prosecutors said.

The mother, Ashley Bronte, 29, arrived home at 6:50 a.m. and was met by police who had already entered her home.

An officer saw the child had “dried feces present on his buttocks and backs of his legs with dried urine on his legs,” a criminal complaint read.  

The officer then observed the child for about 90 minutes and saw him “repeatedly” clench and unclench his hands and rock himself back and forth. The officer added that the boy looked to have the "physical stature" and appearance of an 8-year-old. 

His mother then told the officer, “He’s blind, he suffers from epilepsy and has some sort of autism. I need to give him his medical marijuana — he’s in an experimental program,” according to the complaint.

Bronte, who was busted in 2015 for heroin possession, was charged with felony endangering the welfare of a child.

She was released on $15,000 bail after being arraigned Tuesday and is due back in court on May 4.  

Her lawyer did not return an immediate request for comment.