ROCKDALE COUNTY, Ga. — Authorities say the same woman accused of running a personal care facility where a caretaker used "zap canes" to shock an emotionally disabled woman was running three more facilities with her husband.
Last Thursday, the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office arrested 45-year-old Tomeka Moses Williams for running the illegal care facility in the 300 block of Rodgers Court in Conyers. Investigators said that, at the time, there were eight "emotionally disabled" residents, aged 24 to 80, living at the home.
The sheriff's office opened an investigation into the facility in February and recently took out arrest warrants for Williams and her employee, 48-year-old Tony Powell.
Officials said Powell lived in the home and was supposed to take care of the women. However, Powell allegedly used a shock cane, like the one pictured below, to shock the patients. The canes are typically used as self-defense for the elderly.
Powell is still at large and faces charges of aggravated assault, exploitation of disabled adults and intimidation of a disabled adult, simple battery.
PHOTOS: Illegal personal care home in Conyers
However, officials said the facility Rockdale Sheriff's officials busted may not have been the only one.
On March 23, Newton County Sheriff's deputies were sent to 65 Woodridge Road to conduct a welfare check. During the course of the check, deputies spoke to one of the residents at the home who told officials he lived with multiple other people. The deputy noted the home was dirty, and there was barely any food in the refrigerator. The deputy said the resident also told him he saw one of his caretakers on the news, and that she had been arrested.
Authorities were able to connect this residence with others, and according to the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, they were able to determine Williams and her husband Jacoby were running a total of four unlicenced care facilities in four separate counties:
323 Rodgers Court, Conyers, Ga. (Rockdale County) – 8 people were relocated. Code enforcement has been notified.
65 Woodridge Road, Covington, Ga. (Newton County) – 5 people were relocated. Code enforcement has been notified.
3646 Salem Dr, Lithonia, Ga. (Dekalb County) – currently 9 people in 3 bedrooms. Code enforcement has been notified.
5930 GA Hwy 85, Riverdale, Ga. (Clayton County) – unknown current occupancy. Code enforcement notification is pending.
11Alive has reached out to authorities in DeKalb and Clayton County to get more information.
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