Home Health Aide Accused Of Assaulting Elderly Peabody Woman

PEABODY, MA -- A 27-year-old home health aide was arraigned in Peabody District Court Friday on charges of assault and battery, assault and battery on a person over 60 and witness intimidation. Sophonie Fidele was released on $500 bail and ordered to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet. She is due back in court Feb. 7 for a pre-trial hearing.

Peabody Police and Fire Department personnel responded to a 911 call at 59 Lynnfield Street in which a woman could be heard screaming for help. When they arrived, they found the 90-year-old victim who said she had angered Fidele by accusing her of "being under the influence of something."

The victim told when she tried to call her daughter, Fidele ripped the phone out of her hand. When she tried to activate her medical alert bracelet, Fidele grabbed her hand and removed the bracelet.

"Investigators found empty bottles of liquor in the defendant's room and that the commode chair had not been emptied for several days," the Essex County District Attorney's office said in a statement. "Investigators also determined that the defendant is an employee of Family Care Plus out of Connecticut and had been placed as a live-in aid at that address."

A spokesperson for Family Care Plus was not immediately available for comment Friday.

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Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).