GADSDEN, AL (WBRC) –
Gadsden police are investigating an apparently severe case of elder abuse and neglect they say happened despite the presence of a caregiver.
A Gadsden police report says officers responding to a welfare check on call Monday night found a 72-year-old woman who told police she had suffered a stroke but had not gone to the hospital.
The police report described the house, a yellow one located at the intersection of 22nd Street and Sansom Avenue in the Alabama City section of Gadsden, as “badly degraded” conditions.
They said the woman had bugs coming out of her mouth and wore a diaper that hadn’t been changed in some time.
They described the woman as living among numerous cockroaches, in a house where a sink full of dishes gave off a strong odor.
A 41-year-old man police described as the caregiver told police to leave at first, but later left the home himself as the first fire truck arrived with medics.
The woman was then transported to Riverview Regional Medical Center, where a spokesperson would not give an update on her condition.
The report said the Etowah County Department of Human Resources has joined the investigation.
Police did not disclose further details on Tuesday and referred questions to city attorney Lee Roberts, who was tied up in court and unavailable. It was unclear whether police are seeking any warrants in this case, although abuse and neglect of the elderly is a crime under Alabama law.
A woman at the home would not comment about the case on Tuesday.
Fox6 WBRC/www.myfoxal.com
