A caregiver in Florida has been taken into custody following the death of an 86-year-old male patient in her care.
Beatrice Taylor, 25, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of an elderly individual following the death of a patient at his residence in Winter Haven on August 15, according to a statement from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities report that the family of the victim engaged a home healthcare service to provide care for their loved one, who had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
Taylor took on the responsibility of looking after the patient throughout the night in the home he shared with his wife. Authorities reported that Taylor started her shift at 9 p.m. local time and promptly dozed off on the living room couch, a violation of the rules during her working hours, as stated in the press release.
Officials claimed that Taylor was roused at 1 a.m. by a “thump” coming from the patient’s room.
She reportedly found the elderly man on the floor, his head trapped between the nightstand and the bed. Nonetheless, when she attempted to return him to bed, he instructed her not to make contact, she stated, according to the release.
Officials assert that she abandoned him on the floor and returned to her slumber. After waking up at approximately 4 a.m., she had a 30-minute conversation with her parents before going to check on the victim, according to the official statement.
Officials reported that she discovered him lying unresponsive on the ground. According to the release, her parents advised her to dial 911, but she reportedly disconnected the call and reached out to her employer first before finally calling 911 at approximately 5:30 a.m.
The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was positional asphyxia, compounded by existing health conditions.
Authorities revealed that an implanted pacemaker was discovered during the autopsy, and subsequent cardiac data indicated that the victim was “still alive at 1:00 a.m. when Taylor first found the victim lying on the floor.”
“According to the Medical Examiner, had Taylor called 911 when she first found the victim, as required by her own company’s policy, the victim would not have died,” the release states.
Authorities reported that Taylor purportedly made multiple comments following her arrest, asserting that she “didn’t kill that man,” as stated in the official announcement.
A paramedic who arrived at the scene reportedly overheard Taylor on the phone saying, “He was old anyway so what does it matter,” according to the release.
“The complete disregard for Mr. Anderson’s life by the person who was employed by his family is completely outrageous, and egregious,” said Polk Sheriff Grady Judd. “I believe someone who was not even being paid to look after this elderly man would have immediately dialed 911 under these circumstances. Her behavior and attitude are simply deplorable. Mr. Anderson’s family members are in our prayers.”
The sheriff’s office reported that Taylor was taken into custody on Thursday, Sept. 26, and her employer terminated her following the event. She remains in custody with no option for bail.
A hearing for arraignment is set to take place on October 29. As of the time of publication, her plea status remains uncertain. Efforts were made to reach out to Taylor’s legal representatives, but they were unavailable for comment.
