‘He was old anyway’: Health care aide accused of 86-year-old man’s death

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies arrested a Polk County woman and charged her with the manslaughter of an 86-year-old man, according to the sheriff’s office.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Investigators said that Beatrice Taylor, 25, neglected to dial 911 immediately or provide health care to an elderly man under her care.

According to the affidavit, Taylor was employed by Assisting Hands Home Health Care as a health aide and worked evenings at the man’s Winter Haven home.

Read: New Florida laws to take effect Oct. 1

On Aug 15, Taylor, who worked a 12-hour night shift fell asleep on the couch in the living room and woke up around 1 a.m. when she heard a thump coming from the victim’s bedroom, a police report said.

The victim was recently hospitalized and diagnosed with congestive heart failure.

Deputies said Taylor went to the bedroom and found the victim’s head wedged in between the nightstand and the bed, but the victim refused help, so Taylor left him on the floor and did not call anyone.

Read: 1 hurt in shooting outside I-Drive bar in Orange County, deputies say

Taylor fell back asleep and did not wake up until hours later and investigators said Taylor called her parents and spoke with them for about 36 minutes,

While on the phone with her parents, she checked on the victim and found him on the floor unresponsive.

Taylor’s parents told her to call 911.

Read: Ocala Police wants help identifying the remains from a 20 year old cold case

According to the report, she hung up and called Assisting Hands first, leaving a message then called 911 around 5:37 a.m.

Detectives said that when they arrested Taylor, she claimed she had done nothing wrong and “didn’t kill that man.”

One of the paramedics who arrived after Taylor called 911 said they overheard her saying to someone on the phone, “He was old anyway, so what does it matter.”

Assisting Hands confirms that Taylor worked for them for about eight months and terminated her employment the next day.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2024 Cox Media Group