CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT/Gray News) – A Virginia woman is behind bars after police arrested her for abuse and neglect that resulted in the death of her 28-year-old son, who had autism.
According to a criminal complaint, Chesterfield County Police found Somak Nath in cardiac arrest in his driveway on Wednesday. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Police said Nath was unable to care for himself, and Child Protective Services said he was also nonverbal.
His mother, 60-year-old Manisha Nath, was his caregiver.
According to court documents, a medical examiner found that Somak Nath weighed around 65 pounds when he died. The documents said he was malnourished, and most of his teeth were missing or rotted.
Neighbors who wanted to remain anonymous said Manisha Nath, their neighbor of 20 years, was very private but pleasant to speak with.
“She’s a very bright person; she has a doctorate. She always seemed like she really cared about her children. A very industrious person, but somebody without a support system here,” one neighbor said.
Another neighbor recalled seeing Somak Nath grow up in the neighborhood.
“He would come over and play on our swing set when he was little,” a neighbor said. “Just a sweet, sweet, docile, timid child.”
After his body was found, a medical examiner said Somak Nath was covered in grime after not bathing for quite some time. He also had sores on his back.
Police said Manisha Nath admitted to giving her son a bucket of water and a mug to bathe.
When they searched Manish Nath’s home, officials said they found little to no food, black mold and no running water in the house.
Neighbors said they witnessed crews in hazmat suits going in and out of the house Thursday and putting a biohazard sign on the door.
“No clue that there was anything interior or anything unhealthy, hazardous. When we would see her coming out to the car, she would look fine,” a neighbor said.
Manisha Nath appeared virtually in court Friday, where a judge ruled she had “substantial resources” for a court-appointed attorney. She is set to make her next court appearance on Nov. 18.
Her neighbors are still processing the situation and are urging people to check on their own neighbors.
“I wish I had seen the signs, I wish I had drawn her out more in conversation. I mean, we stayed up all night last night talking about this. You just wonder what you could have done to prevent this, but it’s a ‘what you could have done a couple of decades ago’ now,” a neighbor said.