LOGANVILLE, GA (WXIA) – Police are crediting a son's hidden camera for exposing a case of elder abuse at his mother's personal care home in Loganville.
The victim's son hid a camera in her room. She had complained she was being abused.
Police said the video the son obtained was difficult even for them to watch.
The woman lives at Personal Touch personal care home in Loganville, with four other residents. She is 69 years old. She is in a wheelchair. Police say she was unable to defend herself from the aggressive treatment of her personal care worker.
The worker, Lisa Williams, joined the staff about three weeks ago. A few days later, the man's mother began complain that Williams was abusing her. That’s when her son hid a camera in his mother's room.
"What the video captured was startling," said Gwinnett County Police Corporal Deon Washington on Friday.
It shows Williams yelling at the woman, appearing to kick her and stomp on her foot. It shows Williams struggling with the woman while trying to change her shirt. At one point, it looks like Williams wraps the shirt around the woman’s neck and pulls on it. And in the continuing struggle, Williams pushes the woman to the floor and walks out of the room for a moment.
When Gwinnett County Police saw the video, they arrested Williams.
The charges against the personal care worker so far include aggravated assault and exploitation of a disabled adult.
“We’re saddened and disgusted that someone who is tasked with, essentially, giving care to the most vulnerable people in our society, would use that as an opportunity to attack them,” said CPL Washington.
Washington said detectives will be interviewing the other residents to see if Williams abused them.
11Alive News has been unable to reach anyone with Personal Touch for comment, and no one was answering the door, Friday.
The woman’s son says she was fine before Williams began working there, and is fine now. So, for now, his mother continues to live there.
As of Friday evening, 11Alive News has found no evidence in state records of any serious problems with Personal Touch personal care home.
