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2.02.2011

veteran's caretaker charged with elder abuse

Horrible story out of El Cajon, California... Milagros Angeles, the caretaker of Arnold Bauer, is accused of elder abuse and other felonies after authorities found the 93-year-old World War II veteran disoriented and living in filth in his home last week: WWII veteran's caretaker charged with elder abuse.

Angeles is charged with false imprisonment of an elder, theft by a caretaker and altering checks to drain her employer's life's savings. She is suspected of stealing thousands of dollars, while completely neglecting care of Bauer:
The war veteran's bank became concerned when employees noticed he hadn't been in since October and notified Adult Protective Services, Hickman said.

When deputies arrived at the home in unincorporated El Cajon on Tuesday, they found Bauer clutching a photograph of his ship, the USS Vestal, said Sgt. Mark Varnau of the Sheriff Department's Elder Abuse Unit. The Vestal was moored next to the USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Bauer was dehydrated and disoriented, suffering either from dementia or Alzheimer's disease, and did not want to let the deputies in his home, Varnau said.

"He's frail, but he did not appear to have been physically beaten or abused," he said.
Makes you sick. When investigators arrived at the house, Milagros reportedly had more than $9,000 in cash hidden on her body in five layers of clothing and a money belt. What the hell? Crazy lady. If convicted of all charges, Milagros could be sentenced to a maximum of 6 years and 8 months in prison. More here: Bail set at $1M for woman accused of abusing WWII vet.