Man charged after leaving elderly mother on floor for four days

PHOENIX — A Phoenix man was charged this week after leaving his elderly mother on her bedroom floor for four days.

On Tuesday, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office charged Leland Jay Wedin Jr., 59, with vulnerable adult abuse after the death of his 85-year-old mother.

Court records show that on January 9, Geraldine Wedin fell out of her bed at her home near 35th Avenue and Bell Road.

After four days, her live-in son called family members to help him get Geraldine back into bed.

Investigators say the family was "horrified at the living conditions." The home was full of garbage and human and dog feces, according to the family.

The family reportedly told investigators that Geraldine was "incoherent, lying in her own waste, with large pressure sores on both hips that were crawling with maggots."

Hospital workers reported to police that Geraldine was suffering from septic shock, Pneumonia, hypothermia, and had an open finger fracture. She died a month later.

Wedin reportedly told police that his mother refused to go to the hospital, so he fed her nutrition shakes and water, and treated her sores with peroxide and antibiotic ointment.

Court records show that Geraldine hadn't been to a doctor in two years. Neighbors allegedly told police that the condition of the home "severely declined" when Wedin moved in two years ago.

Wedin has been summoned to make his first court appearance on November 25.

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Man charged after leaving elderly mother on floor for four days