2 Puyallup Caregivers Arrested, Accused Of Criminal Mistreatment

PUYALLUP, WA — Puyallup Police arrested two staff members at an adult care facility Thursday, following a criminal investigation into allegations of mistreatment.

A police spokesperson said the facility operated as a licensed care provider at a private home. The location was not immediately disclosed.

According to investigators, a criminal probe began in November after a woman told detectives her 95-year-old grandmother was injured in a fall, and caregivers had failed to act.

Latest: 3 Charged In Woman's Death At Puyallup Adult Family Home

Investigators said the victim was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where doctors discovered a fracture to her femur. She died 10 days later.

Detectives learned the woman's family had previously placed a "nanny cam" in her room due to concerns they had after a previous fall. Police said footage they reviewed from the night of the incident showed caregivers responding to her cries for help, then leaving her on the floor. According to investigators, no one called for medical aid for 2 1/2 hours.

Police said both caregivers were booked into Pierce County Jail on second-degree criminal mistreatment charges, a class C felony. Detectives said a third person would likely be arrested, but they were not at the home when police arrived.

The Department of Social and Health Services suspended the state license for the group home and placed five other residents into other facilities.