Woman charged after police find 90-year-old husband living in alleged neglect
Teresa Marie Mills was arrested by the North Charleston Police Department on charges of neglect of a vulnerable adult and abuse of a vulnerable adult after officers conducting a welfare check found her 90-year-old husband in alleged neglect and unsan
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - A South Carolina woman was arrested Sunday after police said they found her 90-year-old husband suffering from apparent neglect while living in unsanitary conditions, according to the North Charleston Police Department.
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Officers responded to a home on North Kenwood Drive shortly after 7:30 p.m. to conduct a welfare check after the elderly man was reportedly seen sitting alone on the front porch.
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When officers arrived, they found the man disoriented and unable to communicate clearly. Emergency medical services were called to the scene.
According to a police report, officers noticed a strong, overwhelming odor coming from the residence before they reached the porch. Inside, they spoke with the man's wife, identified as 66-year-old Teresa Marie Mills.
Police said the man had visible injuries, including blood on his body. Mills told officers her husband had fallen the previous day but that she did not contact a doctor or call 911. She also told investigators that her husband has dementia and that she had gone out to dinner with friends the day before, leaving him home alone.
Mills reportedly said a caregiver visits the home once a week to assist her husband with bathing.
Officers described the home's conditions as deplorable, reporting feces and urine stains throughout the residence, along with evidence of rodent activity. Investigators said boxes and other belongings inside the home appeared to have been chewed by rodents.
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The 90-year-old man was placed into emergency protective custody and transported to a local hospital for medical treatment.
What's next:
Mills was arrested and charged with neglect of a vulnerable adult and abuse of a vulnerable adult. She was booked into the Al Cannon Detention Center.
The investigation is being handled by the North Charleston Police Department.
The Source: This story was based on information released by the North Charleston Police Department through a CRIMEWATCH posting. This story was reported from Los Angeles.