Showing posts with label elderly abuse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elderly abuse. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

Bexar County caregiver charged with elderly abuse after disturbing video surfaces

by Christopher Hoffman

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the caregiver, identified as Belinda Garza Edy, 54, was employed by Senior Buddies, a private home health care company that serves clients in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Sheriff Salazar said Garza Edy was aware of a surveillance camera installed inside the victim’s residence but was undeterred. (PHOTO: SBG San Antonio)

SAN ANTONIO - A home health aide in Bexar County has been charged with elderly abuse after video footage appeared to show her abusing a 91-year-old patient suffering from late-stage dementia, according to local authorities.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the caregiver, identified as Belinda Garza Edy, 54, was employed by Senior Buddies, a private home health care company that serves clients in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Sheriff Salazar said Garza Edy was aware of a surveillance camera installed inside the victim’s residence but was undeterred.

Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said the caregiver, identified as Belinda Garza Edy, 54, was employed by Senior Buddies, a private home health care company that serves clients in San Antonio and surrounding areas. Sheriff Salazar said Garza Edy was aware of a surveillance camera installed inside the victim’s residence but was undeterred. (PHOTO: Bexar County Sheriff Office)

According to investigators and family members, footage showed Garza Edy force-feeding the elderly victim in a manner that caused pain, and at one point, striking the victim across the face.  

The victim’s family, after reviewing the video footage, reported the incident to Senior Buddies’ management, expecting immediate action. Instead, the company reportedly told the family it preferred to handle the matter “internally”, stating that law enforcement would not be notified.

Unsatisfied with the response, the family turned to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, who launched an investigation and filed charges against Garza Edy. The office confirmed that it has also contacted state authorities in connection with the case.

“This is a deeply troubling situation,” Sheriff Salazar said. “We are urging any member of the community who has had interactions with this caregiver or this company and suspects abuse to come forward.”

Anyone with information or concerns about possible elder abuse related to this case is encouraged to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at (210) 335-6000.

According to its website, Senior Buddies has operated since 2009 and offers in-home elder care in San Antonio, Leon Springs, Fair Oaks, and Boerne. The company has not issued a public statement regarding the incident as of Friday.

Officials with Senior Buddies issued this statement on Sunday:

On Friday, June 20th, 2025, a former caregiver was arrested for elder abuse. In mid-March we were made aware of video footage showing maltreatment of one of our clients by Belinda Eady. We were shocked and outraged by her behavior and immediately removed her from this case and discontinued her employment. We do not tolerate abusive behavior from any of our staff.

Contrary to inaccurate reports that the agency opted to handle this matter internally, the conduct of this caregiver was reported to our state regulating agency, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which is responsible for investigating such matters. Additionally, we provided Ms. Eady’s contact information to law enforcement as requested. We remain in full cooperation with THHSC and law enforcement.

During the decade and a half that Senior Buddies has been serving the senior population of San Antonio and the surrounding areas, we have never had a report or incident of abuse of our clients. This type of conduct does not represent our beliefs or the way we care for our clients. Senior Buddies is dedicated to providing the best and most loving care possible for all of our clients and will continue to care for those in need with dignity, compassion, and respect. 

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Bexar County caregiver charged with elderly abuse after disturbing video surfaces 

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Kinsey Police warn of elderly abuse after arresting man for stealing from his grandmother


By Jacklynn Lambert

KINSEY, Ala. (WTVY) - The Kinsey Police Department has a message to the public about elderly abuse.

This month, Kinsey Police arrested a man for stealing from his grandmother and leaving her without power and thousands of dollars.

That man, 29-year-old Jordan Glass, is facing several charges including elderly abuse and neglect and financial exploitation of an elderly person.

The victim, although bedridden at the time, contacted the police suspecting something was wrong with her finances after she had no money to pay her bills.

“She has a memory better than I do. She was the one who helped Sergeant (Josh) Waybright go through every transaction. She went through every bit of it with him and helped get information from the bank,” Kinsey Police Chief Jim Mock said.

After an investigation, police discovered Glass lied about having power of attorney over his grandmother and had been robbing her for months.

Glass had taken over $8,000 from his grandmother, leaving her with no way to pay her power bill and facing the threat of having her water turned off.

Chief Mock said several community members have since stepped in to help the victim with her bills and other essentials after hearing about the situation.

“You make one phone call, you have 30 or 40 trying to help. That is one of the leisures of having a small town, everybody knows everybody. To me, it is just sickening that you can do an elder person this way when they can’t defend themselves on their own or anything like that. Thank god Sergeant Josh Waybright got up with DHR, they have helped tremendously along with other organizations that have come in through DHR that have helped with trying to get things right in this situation for her,“ Mock said.

The police chief then went on to express his disdain for the abuse of individuals like the elderly.

“My thing is, the elders are supposed to be protected by everybody. They have done their time and what they are supposed to do out here. It takes a special kind of person to take advantage of an elder or a child in that kind of manner,“ Mock said.

With the ongoing investigation, Glass is expected to face several additional charges related to this case of elderly abuse.

Glass is being held at the Houston County Jail on an upwards of $600,000 bond.

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Kinsey Police warn of elderly abuse after arresting man for stealing from his grandmother

Friday, July 12, 2024

Bill removing statute of limitations of elderly abuse, exploitation makes voting file

GUAM—With the support of his legislative colleagues, Democrat Senator Dwayne T.D. San Nicolas successfully moved Bill No. 243-37 (COR) onto the third reading file during regular session on July 2 at the Guam Congress Building in Hagåtña.

Bill 243-37 will remove the statute of limitations for financial and property exploitation of an elderly person or individual with disability, should it pass into local law. According to the National Council on Aging, up to five million older Americans are abused every year, and the annual loss by victims of financial abuse is estimated to be at least $36.5 billion. The council also states that in about 60% of elderly abuse incidents, the perpetrator is a family member, usually the spouse or the children of the victim.

“The number of exploited elderly is astounding and justifies the creation of legislation to combat this issue,” said San Nicolas, author of Bill 243-37, a first of its kind in the nation. “All of these findings by the National Council on Aging are alarming, something which our manåmko’ and persons with disabilities need to be protected from by putting the law on their side. Financial exploitation of our manåmko’ and individuals with disabilities is a heinous crime that should not have a statute of limitations.”

If enacted into Guam law, this legislation will remove the statute of limitations in cases of elderly and disabled individuals’ financial exploitation and abuse. With this legislative measure, elderly and individuals with disabilities, victims of financial exploitation and abuse, will be able to pursue justice without the added worry of a deadline to file a lawsuit.

“As a government entity that serves the people, the Guam Legislature needs to enact legislation that would protect and help the manamko’ and people with disabilities find justice in incidents of financial exploitation and abuse,” he said.

Moreover, Guam Attorney General Douglas Moylan endorsed the bill during its public hearing on April 1.

“It’s about time,” said Moylan at the April 1 public hearing. “In our court system, there are too many of our manåmko’ that are being found out in guardianship cases and in probate cases that their lifetime savings have been taken from them, especially from their own family members that are ‘caregivers’. As we age everybody’s memories through the natural process become not as sharp as they used to be. I applaud the sponsor of the bill, Senator San Nicolas, for taking up this challenge. Our code is in need of protection right now. Our manåmko’ are in need of protection out there. They need to have the tools to do that. We, the AG’s office, fully endorse it.”

This shall become effective upon enactment. (PR)

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Bill removing statute of limitations of elderly abuse, exploitation makes voting file

Saturday, August 6, 2022

Crime Alert: Sheriff's Office says Mobile man beat 81-year-old stepfather

by Karris Harmon


MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) — The Mobile County Sheriff’s Office received a domestic violence complaint between a father and son last week. Deputies say the 56-year-old stepson, Kim Griffin, physically assaulted his 81-year-old stepfather, Willie McCall. The sheriff’s office says to call it what it is: elder abuse. After the assault, the victim, Willie McCall had to go to the hospital for injuries to the back, mouth, face, and neck.

"This guy's a coward. Basically, beat his 81-year-old dad," said Captain Paul Burch.

56-year-old Kim Aundrea Griffin is in the Mobile Metro County Jail, charged with domestic violence strangulation, elderly abuse, and robbery of his 81-year-old stepfather Willie McCall. Griffin was trying to get McCall to sign over his power of attorney-giving griffin access to his finances, vehicle, and estate. When McCall refused to sign...

"The stepson who's 56 years old threw him against the cabinet, knocked him to the floor, and when he was on the floor began to choke and strangle him then beat him in the face," said Burch.

The stepson didn't stop there. Before taking the keys of the victim’s car:

"The stepson made the victim take off his bloody clothes and change into other clothes in case anyone was to come over, took the bloody clothes with him," said Burch.

Unfortunately, what happened to Willie McCall is not uncommon in Alabama. Commissioner of the AL Department of Senior Services, Jean Brown, says it happens more than you think.

"11,000 cases reported. For every one of those reported cases, it's estimated that there are 23 cases that are ongoing and occurring that are never reported," said Brown. "11,000 would be just the tip of the iceberg."

Brown tells me it's common for an elder to be abused by someone close to them like a family member. It's hard to say how long willie McCall was enduring this abuse.

"What makes that so sad, is that quite often it’s very hard for a parent to report their son or daughter. They love their son or daughter and in addition to that if the son or daughter does not take care of them, they may not have anyone else," said Brown.

Burch says the incident occurred over a financial dispute and that McCall is okay. Commissioner Brown says financial abuse can be one that goes unrecognized because the victim may not be aware that someone taking advantage of them.

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Monday, May 2, 2022

Woman arrested for assault and elderly abuse in Merced

by Ishshah Padilla
 
A woman was arrested after police say she attacked an elderly man on Tuesday morning in Merced.

Police responded to the area of W. 27th St. and H St. shortly after 9 a.m. When they arrived, they found an elderly man covered in blood with injuries to his head and face.

Detectives say the man was walking along the Bear Greek path when Angela Carrillo, 18, struck the man in the head with a rock and attempted to throw that rock at the victim but missed.

Carrillo, officers say attacked the man for an unknown reason. She was booked into the Merced County Jail for assault with a deadly weapon and elderly abuse.

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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Moultrie man charged with 10 counts of exploitation

By Jack R. Jordan

MOULTRIE, Ga. — GBI along with local law enforcement have arrested a man in connection with two unlicensed personal care homes and elderly abuse.

Chadwick Demtrix Pittman, 30, 1895 Blossom Court, was arrested May 20 following an investigation that began in November, according to Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Callahan of the GBI. 

“The GBI Region 9 Office was originally requested by the Moultrie Police Department to assist in an elder abuse case involving an individual who resided at 1212th Ave. SW,” Callahan said in an email conversation Monday.

Throughout the course of the investigation, it was determined that the residence of the 12th Avenue address, 2916 Sylvester Drive and 3445 Sylvester Drive were being operated by Pittman as unlicensed personal care homes, Callahan said.

“On May 19, the GBI, MPD and Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants on these addresses,” stated Callahan. 

Law enforcement also raided Pittman’s personal address. Ten disabled adults were removed from the homes. Temporary Emergency Respite Funds, Georgia Pines, Benchmark, Colquitt County EMS and the Department of Behavioral Health all aided in getting care for the individuals, Callahan said. 

Pittman was arrested May 20 and was charged with ten counts of exploitation of a disabled adult.

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Saturday, October 27, 2018

'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

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Caretaker Charged in Sepsis, Malnutrition Death of Man

DORA, Ala. (AP) — A woman charged with caring for an elderly Alabama man has been arrested in connection to his death.

News outlets report 58-year-old Sharon Kay Lewis was charged Wednesday with manslaughter and elderly abuse and neglect in the death of James Johnson Woods. Charging documents say Woods died last September from sepsis, malnutrition and pneumonia.

Court records made public Thursday say Lewis was released that same day on a written promise to appear in court. Cordova Police spokesman T.J. Armstrong says elderly abuse charges can apply to a range of cases from financial exploitation to sexual abuse.

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Caretaker Charged in Sepsis, Malnutrition Death of Man

Monday, May 2, 2016

Man sentenced for abusing elderly mother, stepfather


Derek Baxter Emmett
COBB COUNTY, GA (CBS46) - A man convicted of abusing his elderly mother and stepfather will spend at least the next four years behind bars after being sentenced in a Cobb County courtroom Thursday.

Derek Baxter Emmett, 49, was convicted on eight counts related to the terrorizing and abuse of his mother, 80 year-old Barbara Emmett and her husband, 78 year-old Harry Swink. He was sentenced to 15 years but must serve a minimum of four years.

An investigation into the case was launched in May of 2015 and Emmett was arrested a short time later.

Harry Swink & Barbara Emmett
According to investigators, Barbara Emmett had back surgery and was recovering when the abuse started. Harry Swink was oxygen dependent and in a wheelchair.

Police say Derek Emmett would frequently break in to the couple's home and demand money.

Emmett also assaulted two investigating detectives and was arrested for felony obstruction.

Emmett accepted a plea deal Thursday by agreeing to the following charges:
    2 counts of elderly exploitation
    2 counts of elderly abuse
    2 counts of burglary
    1 count of felony obstruction
    1 count of criminal damage to property-2nd degree

Emmett is not eligible for parole.

Full Article & Source:
Man sentenced for abusing elderly mother, stepfather

Saturday, October 10, 2015

Man sentenced to 20 years for exploiting 85-year-old woman


Willie Norris Williams
A Dothan man received a 20-year split sentence, with three years to serve in prison, after he pleaded guilty to the financial exploitation and elderly abuse of an 85-year-old woman.

Attorney Tom Brantley said his client, 51-year-old Willie Norris Williams, pleaded guilty to two felony counts of financial exploitation of the elderly.

Brantley said his client received what’s referred to as a 20-year split with three years to serve in prison. He said the court also ordered his client to serve the split sentence concurrently with another similar sentence out of Coffee County.

Geneva police investigators arrested Williams in October 2014, and charged him with felony exploitation of the elderly and felony theft by deception. Geneva Police Capt. Ricky Morgan told the Eagle at the time of the arrests that Williams trimmed the azaleas around the 85-year-old victim’s house and then presented her with a bill for $2,350. Morgan said Williams’ yard job only took him a few hours, earning him an hourly rate of $517.50.

Court records show Williams pleaded guilty earlier this year to similar charges in Coffee County. Williams received a 20-year split sentence in January with three years to serve in the Alabama Department of Corrections for two counts of felony financial exploitation of the elderly.

Enterprise police arrested Williams in April 2014 on the two felony charges. Williams was ordered to pay $8,000 restitution to the victim, who he said was the same Enterprise woman in both cases.

Williams became the second Wiregrass resident this week to plead guilty to felony financial exploitation of the elderly charges.

Karen LaRoche, 49, of Abbeville, pleaded guilty earlier this week at the Henry County Courthouse to a financial exploitation of the elderly charge involving the theft of over $20,000 from her elderly mother. LaRoche received a 5-year prison sentence, but has a probation hearing scheduled for next month.

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Man sentenced to 20 years for exploiting 85-year-old woman

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Man accused of stealing from elderly couple


A 51-year-old man today appeared in court facing theft and senior abuse charges.

Xavier Trace Douglas of My Lord’s Bay, Hamilton parish was charged with stealing a credit balance to the value of $70,000 belonging to an elderly couple.

Mr Douglas was also charged with abusing the couple by financial exploitation.

The offences allegedly happened on September 21 in Pembroke.

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Man accused of stealing from elderly couple