Mother, daughter 'caregivers' charged with exploiting, neglecting 87-year-old woman

by LENNY COHEN

Anntoinette Deloris Woods (left) and her daughter, Sharanda Patrice Coach, were both charged with exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult, organized scheme to defraud, neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult, and abuse of an elderly person, June 6, 2024. (Miami-Dade Corrections)

HIALEAH, Fla. (TND) — A mother and daughter in Florida who were supposed to be caregivers are charged with the alleged exploitation and neglect of an 87-year-old woman.

The investigation started after Hialeah police conducted a welfare check at the house where the victim has lived since 1959.

The state attorney’s office said neighbors became concerned because they hadn’t “seen the victim for some time” and they noticed “strange activities” at her house, such as her “furniture and possessions put out onto the street for disposal.”

Inside, on April 30, police reported seeing a “small, cluttered bedroom” that didn’t have a bed. Instead, there was “a disassembled bed frame and no mattress,” so the victim had to sleep in a recliner.

There were also “large black garbage bags filled with unknown items strewn about, and a folded walker and wheelchair out of the victim’s reach,” and authorities said the hallway “to the bathroom was obstructed by clothing, shoes, and plastic bags, which would have prevented her from safely accessing the bathroom had she been able to use her wheelchair.”

Police said they called paramedics to take the victim to the hospital when they saw her “appearance and mental state.”

She had a contusion on the right side of her forehead, they said, “and a pronounced bruise on the right side of her face, displaying green, purple, and yellow colors.

“When asked how she sustained the injury to her head, the victim thinks she probably fell but did not go to the hospital to have the injury examined.”

Plus, “The victim appeared to have limited mobility in her right arm and was unable to lift it.

“She also had a large cut on her left forearm, and her right wrist seemed contracted.”

Then, at the hospital, they learned the victim “had fractures in her right arm [and] bruising on her right hand, chest, right arm, the right side of her face and eye, and her neck.

“Both lower legs had multiple small scrapes, with the skin on both legs appearing red and warm, indicating an infection.

“There was a skin breakdown on her lower back.

“Medical staff opined that the nature and extent of these injuries suggested that they were not solely the result of a recent fall.”

They later learned “the victim was suffering from malnutrition and her pacemaker needed new batteries.

“It should be noted that evaluating a pacemaker for battery replacement is a routine check done when a person receives regular and proper medical care, indicating that the victim has not seen a cardiologist for a significant amount of time.”

The victim also reportedly complained about the lack of care she got from Anntoinette Deloris Woods and her daughter Sharanda Patrice Coach, who were both arrested Thursday.

“The victim described experiencing pain, hardness, and swelling in her legs,” prosecutors said, “and indicated that she had expressed to Woods and Coach the urgent need to see a doctor, but they dismissed her.

“She described her legs as being so swollen that she feared they would explode.

“They repeatedly insisted she did not require medical attention and that nothing was wrong with her.

“The victim further recounted feeling disbelieved and called a liar whenever she expressed being in pain to Woods and Coach.

“The victim further disclosed that she often was left alone at home during the daytime.

“When asked who prepared her meals, she revealed that she typically received Wendy’s burgers and other fast food and that she usually had just one meal a day, sometimes two.”

Police said Woods told them she met the victim at the medical office where she worked, and the victim asked her to help care for her disabled adult son, who died in 2022. Then, she and several family members moved into the victim’s home.

Woods, 49, and Coach, 32, each face four felonies: exploitation of an elderly person or disabled adult, organized scheme to defraud, neglect of an elderly person or disabled adult, and abuse of an elderly person.

Woods’ bail was set at $72,500, and Coach had been released on bond, by Monday.

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Mother, daughter 'caregivers' charged with exploiting, neglecting 87-year-old woman