A caregiver at a Michigan assisted living facility was hit with assault and torture charges for allegedly beating a 93-year-old woman in her care — with the abuse caught on surveillance video.
Dontia Shawnra Arrington, 26, was charged with vulnerable adult abuse, torture with intent to cause cruel or extreme physical and mental pain, and assault with intent to case bodily harm in the stomach-turning incident at the Landings of Genesee Valley facility, WNEM-TV News reported.
“You see the vulnerability of the victim and the fact that she’s getting hit with a 2- or 3-pound soiled diaper,” Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson told the outlet.
“But that isn’t enough. When she brought her hand across her throat in a chokehold, that can kill people, especially a 93-year-old.”
“This is severe dementia,” the sheriff added. “[The victim] has no idea what’s going on. She can’t process what we process on a regular basis.”
The video, captured by a nannycam placed at the facility by the victim’s relatives, appears to show Arrington flying off the handle after the elderly patient, who suffers from dementia, soiled herself.
The caregiver slams the woman with the dirty diaper then chokes her with her hand.
“I was appalled,” Genesee County Prosecutor David Layton told WNEM of the video.
“I was disgusted and I was very angry,” Layton said. “And I said to Chief Assistant [Genesee County Prosecutor Tamara] Phillips, ‘We’re gonna have to charge this woman as harshly as we can’”
Arrington could face up to life in prison if convicted on all of the charges.
She was ordered held on a $45,000 bond and is due back in court on Thursday, the outlet said.
