WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Three workers at an assisted living facility were arrested after police say they encouraged the residents to fight each other and allegedly abused two elderly women with cognitive disabilities.
On June 21, police received a report of elder abuse at the Danby House assisted living facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, after workers allegedly let two residents fight each other.
The police department’s Criminal Investigations Division began investigating with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
“When you’re talking about someone who can’t take care of themselves, we’ve got to give specific attention to that,” Lt. Gregory Dorn, with the Winston-Salem Police Department, told WGHP about the investigation.
Investigators learned that certain Danby House employees were encouraging residents to fight each other and an employee physically assaulted a resident by shoving them.
Dorn stated that these were two different incidents that happened in June and were reported shortly after they happened.
Court documents reveal that Marilyn Latish McKey, 32, is accused of pushing a 73-year old woman into her room. Authorities say that at the time, Tonacia Yvonne Tyson, 20, and Taneshia Deshawn Jordan, 26, who were also employees, filmed the encounter and did not help.
During a separate incident, court documents say that the 73-year old woman began to fight with a 70-year-old woman. All three women are accused of watching the fight, filming it and even encouraging it.
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No injuries were reported or found during the investigation.
McKey was charged with two counts of assault on an individual with a disability.
Tyson and Jordan were charged with one count each of assault on an individual with a disability.
Arrest warrants state Jordan also video recorded an assault.
The Danby House said in a statement:
“Danby House has a zero-tolerance policy for the mistreatment of those in our care and as such, McKey, Tyson, and Jordan were terminated immediately in June when community management was alerted to this situation. Administrators have been working closely with the Winston-Salem Police Department throughout its investigation to ensure justice is served. Additional staff training and a more rigorous vetting process for all new and existing employees at Danby House has been implemented.
Danby House has undergone leadership changes in recent months, and we look at situations like these as opportunities to improve upon the high standard of care we provide for our residents.”
