Four arrested in Valdosta for physical, mental, and financial abuse

Release:

A wellness check that was conducted by a detective and Lowndes County Department of Family and Children Services, results in the arrest of four adults, who had been physically, mentally, and financially abusing a victim.

On May 19, 2025, at 1 pm., a Detective with the Valdosta Police Department received a request from the Lowndes County Department of Family and Children Services (DFACS), to escort them to a residence in the 2500 block of Jerry Jones Drive to assist them with a wellness check on an adult female. DFACS provided the detective with information that there had been allegations that a 37-year-old female at this residence, was being physically abused.

At the residence, the detective contacted Sherri Goode, 44, and Louren Riley, 46. Both Sherri and Louren appeared to be evasive and would not cooperate with answering questions from the detective. Due to their actions at the front door, the detective called for other officers to respond to assist her.

When other officers and detectives arrived, they found the 37-year-old female victim inside the residence, and she needed medical assistance. SGMC Emergency Medical Services responded to the residence, and the female was later taken to the hospital for treatment.

Sherri and Louren were taken to the Valdosta Police Department to speak with detectives. They were later transported to Lowndes County Jail.

Through investigation, detectives found evidence that showed over a significant amount of time, the victim was physically, mentally, and financially abused by Sherri and Louren, along with Sherri’s husband, Kenneth Goode, 46, and the victim’s daughter, Kiera Tolliver, 19.

On May 21, 2025, detectives obtained arrest warrants for Sherri, Louren, Kenneth, and Kiera, for the following charges:

• Kidnapping-felony;

• False imprisonment-felony;

• Aggravated assault-felony;

• Aggravated battery-felony;

• Exploitation and intimidation of a Disabled Adult-felony;

• 4 counts of cruelty to a child in the 1st degree-felony; and

• Battery-misdemeanor.

After obtaining the arrest warrants, detectives received information that Kenneth and Kiera were at a location in Dooly County, Georgia. Detectives contacted deputies and investigators at the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office and provided information on their

location. They quickly located Kenneth and Kiera, taking them into custody without incident.

VPD Detectives met with deputies at the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office and took custody of Kenneth and Kiera. They transported them back to Valdosta, where they were later turned over to Lowndes County Jail.

The victim is continuing to receive medical treatment, at an undisclosed facility. There were four children under the age of 10 in the residence, while this abuse had been occurring. DFACS has taken custody of the children to ensure they are being taken care of.

This investigation, which involves VPD, DFACS, the CAC, the Haven, and the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, is still ongoing and more charges will be forthcoming. At this point in the investigation, detectives have not found any evidence that the children were physically abused.

“This is the most horrific case that our department has investigated in most of our careers, and our prayers go out to the victim and the children. The teamwork between all of our community partners in getting needed resources quickly, has been amazing. We also appreciate the assistance from the Georgia Department of Public Safety Motor Carrier Compliance Division and the Dooly County Sheriff’s Office, who did not hesitate to help us locate two of our offenders. We will continue working with our District Attorney’s Office to ensure these callous monsters are held accountable for everything they have done.” Said Chief Leslie Manahan

If anyone has any further information on this case or any other cases, please get in touch with the Valdosta Police Department Bureau of Investigative Services at 229-293-3145, the crime tip line at 229-293-3091, or file a tip online at www.valdostacity.com/police-department. 

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Four arrested in Valdosta for physical, mental, and financial abuse 

Lansing nurse pleads guilty to over-drugging dementia patient, texting photo to co-worker

by: Brian Dulle

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — A 37-year-old Atchison, Kansas woman accused of over-drugging a dementia patient and then texting a co-worker a photo has plead guilty.

On Friday, Jennifer Lynn Reavis was convicted of endangerment (or recklessly exposing another person to a danger of great bodily harm or death), unlawful administration of a controlled substance, and battery. 

Charges were filed against Reavis after an investigation by the Lansing Police Department at the Twin Oaks Health and Rehab Center in May 2019.  

Administrators contacted police after finding out that a resident had been given evening and bedtime medications at the same time by a nurse, along with an Ativan and a Benadryl, which was not in the resident’s schedule of medications and are known to cause a person to be drowsy.

The nurse was identified to be Reavis, who gave the resident the medication. Reavis also sent a text message to the oncoming night shift nurse that included a photo of the resident slumped over in a wheelchair and appeared to be asleep. The caption along with the picture in the text message read, “Your welcome! I hope she is asleep most of the day tomorrow.” A second text message along with the photo read “Hint hint.”

Reavis admitted to giving the resident the medication and sending the text message. She indicated the resident had been trying to leave the facility.

After being given the medication, the resident, who suffers from severe dementia, began vomiting and became lethargic and eventually needed to be taken to the hospital to undergo treatment.

At this time Reavis is out on bond awaiting sentencing.

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Lansing nurse pleads guilty to over-drugging dementia patient, texting photo to co-worker

 

'A Mean Woman': Caregiver Seen Kicking 93-Year-Old Woman in Surveillance Video

A South Florida caregiver is behind bars after she was caught on surveillance video kicking a 93-year-old woman with Alzheimer's so hard that she started bleeding profusely, authorities said.

Martha Diazsanchez, 64, was arrested Monday afternoon at the victim's Little Havana home on SW 29th Avenue and faces charges of elderly abuse, battery on a person 65 years or older and tampering with physical evidence, according to the Miami Police Department.

"That woman is a bad woman. A mean woman," Santiago Sarmiento, the victim's son-in-law, told NBC 6.

Sarmiento said his mother-in-law is in such a frail state, that she could not even tell her own family that she was attacked.

"She has Alzheimer's and she is very weak," he said.

The surveillance video, taken from the victim's bedroom, shows Diazsanchez entering the room after the victim fell off her bed. She kicks the victim in the leg, hard, causing her to bleed and leaving a laceration in her leg. Diazsanchez pulls up the victim and throws her back onto her bed and mops up the blood after she patches up the injury, police said.

"We were able to put this puzzle together, and again, this could have been much worse," police commander Freddie Cruz said. "This elderly female could have been kicked in the head, her life could have been taken away at any given moment."

According to family members, Diazsanchez claimed to have 40 years of nursing experience. She had been working for the victim's family for only two weeks.

"You need to know who you're bringing into your house," Sarmiento said.

Police initially said the victim was 95 years old and later corrected her age to 93.

Diazsanchez was arrested after she was confronted by family members at the house. She was briefly hospitalized for chest pains and was subsequently booked into Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $35,000 bond, according to online jail records. Attorney information wasn't available.



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'A Mean Woman': Caregiver Seen Kicking 93-Year-Old Woman in Surveillance Video

Elderly woman's former POA sues assisted living facility for denying him access to his client

A high profile professional guardian, who faces criminal charges, is now taking a Pinellas County assisted living facility to court, and a six-figure personal services contract is at the center of the dispute.

Fernando Gutierrez was charged late last year with battery and trespassing for an incident that happened at Patrick Manor ALF in St. Petersburg.

Now he's filed a lawsuit, claiming the facility is preventing him from providing services his client already paid for.

According to court documents, an 86-year-old woman who lives at Patrick Manor signed a document making Gutierrez her power of attorney in June of 2012.

Gutierrez used that POA to hire himself to provide services for her, including monitoring her health, providing for her hygiene needs and even attempting "to amuse and entertain" her.

Fernando Gutierrez

Gutierrez paid himself $180,000 for his services, which represented all of her available funds, according to the contract included in the lawsuit.

He also signed a nearly $42,000 promissory note with an 8 percent annual interest rate on her behalf, which would be satisfied by future payments to himself.

The contract indicates the client would pay him at a rate of $35 per hour for 18 hours of services each week.

The price was arrived at using an insurance actuary table estimating her additional expected lifespan at slightly more than five years.

The elderly client revoked the POA last fall, at which point Patrick Manor banned Gutierrez from the property.

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Elderly woman's POA sues assisted living facility for denying him access to his client

Nurse charged with putting hot sauce in patients’ mouths

OCALA, Fla. — A central Florida woman has surrendered her nursing license after she was charged with placing hot sauce into the mouths of two sleeping dementia patients.

Tracie Nellis was charged last summer with battery on a person age 65 or older and misdemeanor battery. She pleaded no contest to the battery charge and was sentenced to one year probation. The state Board of Nursing ruled last week that Nellis could give up her license to avoid disciplinary proceedings.

State records show she worked at the Williston Rehabilitation and Nursing Center when the incident happened in March 2013.

The state Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case and arrested Nellis and another employee, but the Ocala Star-Banner reports the charges against him were ultimately dropped.

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Nurse charged with putting hot sauce in patients’ mouths