Caregiver arrested after elderly woman found covered in insects and feces
Share and Follow


FT. PIERCE, Fla. (WFLA) — A caregiver in Florida was charged after an elderly woman was found severely neglected during a welfare check, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies went to the residence on July 18 to perform a welfare check and discovered the woman living in “extremely hazardous and unsanitary conditions.”

The woman was only around 90 pounds and had insects crawling in her hair and on her body, deputies said.

While the caregiver appeared clean and well-fed, the elderly woman was found “with visible feces on her person and signs that she had not bathed in an extended period,” SLCSO said.

The house itself was in a decrepit condition, lacking running water and with the roof and interior walls collapsing. It was also infested with insects and cats.

The caregiver, 56-year-old Melanie Hess, was charged with neglect of an elderly, disabled adult and taken to the St. Lucie County Jail.

The elderly victim was transported to a local hospital for medical evaluation.

Share and Follow
You May Also Like

Key Information on Arson and Explosives Units Following Los Angeles Training Facility Blast

Three members of the arson and explosives unit of the Los Angeles…

32 Palestinians Killed While Approaching Food Distribution Centers in Gaza, According to Local Authorities

DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli troops opened fire Saturday…

Local Springfield resident receives 17-year prison term for distributing meth

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A 38-year-old Springfield man is going to spend…

Vehicle drives into a crowd in Los Angeles, injuring 30 people, including at least 3 critically

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A vehicle rammed into a crowd of people…

Volunteers build 15,000 backpacks for kids to help them in the school year

TAMPA, Fla., (WFLA) — Dozens of volunteers for The Bullard Foundation spent…

IDHS Readies for 9-8-8 Calls Following Conclusion of LGBTQ+ Subnetwork

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — LGBTQ+ youth dialed 9-8-8 more than 1.5 million…

Air Force Veteran Reminisces About Time in ‘Rocket City’ During the Vietnam War

ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — When Ron Townsend graduated from high school in…

JCPD: Downtown Shooting Leads to One Injury and Arrest

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) said…