Parents charged in death, starvation of 9-year-old Morrisville boy

A Morrisville man is now facing charges after his son allegedly starved in the care of his own mother and died, according to an arrest warrant.

On Dec. 20 at 5:35 p.m., a Morrisville mother called 911, and police officers were dispatched to a townhouse on Craigmeade Drive regarding a 9-year-old boy who was unresponsive. Officers performed CPR, but the child was unable to be revived.

Police said significant time had passed since the child’s death, adding the boy's body was in a state of decomposition.

The child's mother, 33-year-old Priyanka Tiwari, was charged Dec. 21 with murder and negligent child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.

According to warrants, she "unlawfully, willfully, and feloniously did of malice aforethought kill and murder [her 10-year-old son]."

The boy's father, Shashikant Tiwari, 40, was charged months later on Feb. 2 with negligent child abuse causing serious bodily injury after he "failed to care for his own child and left the child in the care of his wife ... who he knew was in a mental health decline ... which led to the willful act of starvation upon the victim," warrants read.

Investigators found little to no food in the home in December, according to the chief. Police said the boy had lost an enormous amount of weight.

Investigators said abuse and extreme neglect contributed to the child’s death but held off on saying an official cause of death.

"Without the autopsy, we don't know how the child passed away," Morrisville Police Chief Pete Acosta said.

According to the chief, family from India had been continually calling the home for months to check on the boy. Police said they have been called to that home eight times in 2023 alone.

Residents in the neighborhood said they were alarmed by the discovery of the boy.

"It is super alarming for the community [because] everyone is nice and friendly," Sue Nagavalli said.

This is an active investigation.