Florida authorities found “an elderly woman living in extremely hazardous and unsanitary conditions” on Friday and arrested her 56-year-old caregiver.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said the woman weighed about 90 pounds and “appeared severely neglected, with visible feces on her person and signs that she had not bathed in an extended period.” Deputies noted insects crawling in her hair and on her body.
Her caregiver, identified as Melanie Hess, “appeared clean, well-fed, and unaffected by the conditions in which the elderly woman was found,” the sheriff’s office said.
According to an arrest affidavit, Hess told deputies she lived at the home with the victim and her daughter, Treasure Coast News reported.
“It may be noted that pulling into the driveway, the house appeared to be abandoned, and the grass yard was severely overgrown with weeds,” the affidavit said. “Walking towards the home, I began to smell the strong odor of feces and urine associated with the smell of cats and other animals.”
“I looked through a window and observed a white elderly female (victim) laying on a bed in a room,” the report said, according to Law&Crime. “The bed was littered with leaves and appeared to have not been cleaned in a manner of time.”
The report said the home had electricity and running water but no air conditioning or working refrigerator, although the sheriff’s office social media statement said there was no running water. The sheriff’s office also said the home’s roof and interior walls were collapsing. Deputies found an insect infestation and said the victim was unable to tell them when she last ate.
The victim was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment. Hess was charged with neglect of elderly disabled adult without great harm and released on her own recognizance on Saturday, Treasure Coast News said.
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[Featured image: Melanie Hess/St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office]
