By TOM LIDDY
June 21, 2008
The parents of a 7-week-old boy have been arrested for their son's March death and charged with starving him in their Staten Island home, authorities said.
Little Matthew Mason weighed just 2 pounds - half his birth weight - when he was found by a relative March 23 at 9 a.m. and rushed to Staten Island University Hospital, sources said. He died there about 40 minutes later, sources said.
Joanne Fezza, 42, and Peter Mason, 46, were indicted on manslaughter and other charges in the case, and held on $500,000 bail yesterday, authorities said.
The couple also was charged with neglecting their 5-year-old son, who is now in the custody of the Administration for Children's Services.
The family home was the focus of an ACS investigation just two days before Matthew was born, sources said. But officials took no further action after a home visit, they said.
An ACS spokeswoman said the agency is "investigating the fatality".
