School Ignored Starved Boy’s “Excessive” Absences, Lawsuit Alleges

A 7-year-old boy from New York who died of starvation after authorities said he was confined in a “locked and secreted” room had stopped showing up for virtual school for more than a month before his death. His family has argued that the school should have alerted Child Protective Services over the prolonged absences.

The Newburgh Enlarged City School District has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by Peter Cuacuas’ brother. The suit alleged that the district and Peter’s school, Temple Hill Academy, failed to meet their reporting obligations “in a timely manner” after the second grader’s absences became excessive, according to the complaint.

The filing contended that if the district had acted sooner, child welfare authorities could have looked into why Peter was not attending class, discovered the conditions in which he was being kept, and intervened before he died of malnutrition on Feb. 10, 2021. It further alleged that earlier action might have reduced or prevented the suffering he endured.

Peter’s primary caregiver, Leticia Bravo, is serving a 15-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to first-degree manslaughter in 2022. His father, Arturo Cuacuas, pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and received the maximum sentence allowed under state law, 1.33 to 4 years in prison. As part of that plea agreement, prosecutors said, he cooperated in the case against Bravo and admitted he had seen his son’s health worsening for months but did nothing to help while the boy was living with him and Bravo.

According to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, Bravo brought Peter’s body to St. Luke’s Hospital in Newburgh shortly after 8 a.m. on Feb. 10, 2021, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy found that Peter, who weighed only 37 pounds, died from malnutrition. Prosecutors said Bravo kept him hidden in a bedroom secured by a lock on the outside, and said he had not logged on to virtual school since January 2021 despite repeated discussions between Bravo and school staff.

Peter’s brother has said the child missed all virtual instruction from December 2020 until his death in February 2021. The civil suit, filed in 2022, argues that New York education law required the school district, through Peter’s teacher or another employee, to maintain accurate records of his attendance and absences.

The school and district officials “had reasonable cause to suspect from his record of absence from school classes” that he was a “neglected” and “maltreated” child, according to the complaint. “The defendant Newburgh Enlarged City School District never sent an investigator or representative to 135 William Street, Newburgh, New York, to attempt to meet there with Leticia Bravo or to see Peter Cuacuas.”

As previously reported by Law&Crime, Bravo in September 2020 became the child’s primary caregiver, with Peter spending every night of the week at her apartment except for Saturdays, when he stayed with his father. Prosecutors said that Bravo kept the boy hidden inside of her Newburgh home in a bedroom that locked from the outside as he slowly starved to death.

Following her arrest, investigators said Bravo “admitted that she intended on causing physical injury to the boy and that she recklessly created a grave risk of serious physical injury to the boy, which ultimately culminated in his death.”

At her sentencing hearing, Bravo said, “I really don’t know how to express how sorry I am. If I could bring back Peter, I would. Even if I have to stay in prison for some years. I pray every night for Peter’s forgiveness. This whole situation breaks my heart.”

The out-of-court settlement between the Newburgh Enlarged City School District and Peter’s brother was confirmed by the Times Union through his lawyer and a district spokesperson, who sent an email to the local newspaper saying, “The loss of a child is a tragedy that deeply affects our entire community. Our thoughts remain with the student’s family and loved ones. The district has resolved this matter through a settlement. Consistent with the terms of the agreement, the settlement includes no wrongdoing or liability as to the district.”