A 64-year-old woman identified as Lissette Soto Domenech, a resident of Riverdale, Bronx, New York, was arrested for allegedly keeping her children virtually confined to her home between 2016 and 2025, According to the Bronx District Attorney's Office.

A child protection specialist went to the apartment after receiving several anonymous tips and called 911. When the children were found, one weighed just 54 pounds and the other 51, both well below normal height and weight for their age.

One of the children, diagnosed with autism, never received proper medical evaluation or services, and only baby cereal, bottles, and toddler toys were found in the home, with no age-appropriate food.

Medical Care and Recovery

The children were taken to Montefiore Children's Hospital, where they required three months of treatment.

A neighbor stated that Domenech seemed to want her children to "remain babies forever," while the twins' deceased father had expressed concern about keeping them at home, claiming that "the world is crazy."

Since November 2016, Domenech had stopped the children to the doctor and began taking them in September 2017 to submit false documents to the city's Department of Education, claiming she was homeschooling them. This, according to prosecutors, was part of a pattern of prolonged neglect and abuse.

Charges and Legal Proceedings

Domenech was charged with first-degree assault, wanton endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child, and offering a false instrument for filing.

Bronx Supreme Court Judge Audrey Stone set bail at $25,000 cash or $75,000 otherwise, and the defendant is due back in court on February 4.

Prosecutor Darcel Clark stated, "This defendant is charged with a shocking and horrific form of child abuse, depriving their children of adequate nutrition, social interaction, education, and medical care. We will do everything possible to help these children achieve a normal life.”