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Subscribe to RSSTwo people have been arrested and accused of kidnapping, starving and beating a disabled New York woman. Police say they held the woman for more than a year and stole her Social Security checks. WNBC-TV's Brynn Gingras reports.
Two people have been arrested and accused of kidnapping, starving and beating a disabled woman in a Queens home for more than a year, police say.
Police found the 58-year-old victim inside the Rockaway Park home last Thursday, after her niece in Pennsylvania became concerned she hadn't heard from her in months.
The victim was found locked in an empty room that could only be opened from the outside, huddled on the floor, bleeding from the head and malnourished, authorities said.
For more, visit NBCNewYork.com
She was taken to a hospital with broken ribs, a broken arm, a dislocated shoulder and other injuries.
Authorities said Patrick Donovan, 42, and Mae Washington, 63, repeatedly beat the victim with their fists and with a cane, locked her in a room and sometimes bound her with tape.
She was also forced to clean up after their dog and multiple cats, even though she is partially paralyzed on the left side of her body, authorities said.
The couple also stole her Social Security checks and cashed them, authorities said.
"I'm devastated," the victim's niece, Deborah Patton, told NBC New York in a phone interview. "I can't believe a human being could treat another human being like that."
The victim had been living with the couple since January 2011, when she was approached by them while at an assisted living facility, the Queens prosecutor's office said. They convinced her to rent space with them to save money.
The victim is now recovering in the hospital.
Washington and Donovan have been charged with kidnapping, assault and endangering the welfare of a disabled person. This was their second arrest this month; they were previously arrested for burglarizing their neighbor.
The two remain jailed with no bond. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison. They're expected to return to court in April.
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25 years to think of more heinous and vicious things to do to society. If they hatch a good plan, they will work on getting out with good behavior, diabolical
This makes one think to pay more attention to the things going on around you... Not being nosy, just being observant about others... We some times go about our lives with blinders on...
I hope this victim gets better accommodations and protection...
Makes me think we need to pay closer attention to the elderly in our lives. They gave so much to us and protected us, maybe we should do the same for them when the time is right.
Gloryhound, 58 is not generally considered "elderly." The woman was disabled, not aged. They should throw the book at these creeps and the victim should consider direct deposit, both for personal security and not having to drive to the bank, or mail the check in.
One thing I can say is here in Canada the laws are very strict when it comes to elderly abuse. I'm glad these idiots were caught, and unfortunately a good amount of these cases are not reported and go unnoticed.
Hope she has a speedy recovery.
Hmm, now THEY are going into nice, sparse rooms with doors that only open from the outside. And I hope they stay there for the rest of their miserable, rotten lives! I agree with Gloryhound, we need to pay close attention to our "older" friends, neighbors, and relatives. You never know when someone might pull this kind of crap. No human being deserves to be treated like this.
I hope they get the maximum allowed by law, maybe they should let that lady beat them everyday with that cane for a year.
Seems to me life would be a better sentence, no time off for good behavior! Of course, this happened in New York State, that is the state that allowed a bank robber sue a taxi driver for unusual and cruel punishment when he pinned him against a building with his cab until the police came about 8 years ago. Again, happened in New York.
How does that woman's family not know what's going on in her life for a year?
Sorry Rick, but there are LAWS in this country to protect cruel and unusual treatment of the inmates in our fine facilities. I can't believe you would suggest that this disabled women that was beaten and starved by these 2, be allowed to inflict any type of harm to the fine, outstanding, soon to be rehabilitated inmates.
(sarcasm for people ready to blast me)
Hey, I'm going to be 58 this year. I do not consider myself elderly, at all. Nor do my children or grandchildren! This lady was partially disabled. So am I, but I'm not letting that get in my way of living (or escaping). She is probably much worse off than I, because she was already in an assisted-living facility. Unless she has given some sort of power of attorney to someone or she has a guardianship, she is just like me--a free citizen. She can choose to live wherever she wants. Unfortunately, she made a bad choice to move in with these two jailors/thugs.
I hope she recovers without further pain or suffering. I further hope that these two sadistic, vile characters are prosecuted to the furthest extent of the law.
Huh, as long as the family didn't have to be burdened with her and now they want to be outraged?
I wonder how many other creeps are visiting assisted-living facilities to move others out, in the guise of "saving money." Assisted living places are pricey, but there are checks on how they're managed and who is hired.
People like this couple are no good to anyone or anything, and conversely, very bad for all. Really, in all practicality, decent people would all be better served if the law could just kill them, and slip them into the ground, or into a hot fire very quickly, and get them the hell ouit of everyones way.
25 year is NOT enough for what they did!!
LIFE!! That way they will never hurt anyone again.
I am sure they will be well taken care of in jail (wink)
No kidding. The law is about justice. Too many people want revenge. Revenge has no place in a civilized society.
Despite your snarkiness, the system is doing the right thing. They are not going to be allowed to continue their misdeeds; they are going to be locked up.
Please allow me to be the first to express contempt for your statements. There is a good reason we don't allow revenge in the justice system.
'Nuff said.
What a shame. These people should be put under the jail of course after the prisoner have their way with them.
Hopefully "Bubba" and "Big Bertha" will give them their proper punishment, every day they're in jail !
Me. I would just put a bullet in each one of their heads, after they had a long "Talk" with my "Louisville Slugger" !
They really should suffer. I hate monsters like this.
I believe that if we, as a country, began inflicting an "eye for an eye" punishment on these people who perpetrate such vile acts of depravity on other people, that perhaps we can eliminate a good deal of these incidents from occurringin the future. However, as we, as a country, are merciful to a fault on these people, perhaps these people will stand before a judge who will quite severely punish these two for such blantant dehumanizing acts on this poor woman. If they receive a lenient judge, they should be aware that God will judge them in the end, and "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord!"
You know, you can't have it both ways. First you support the the Muslim philosophy of an eye for an eye. That's what they do in those countries. You know, stoning women to death, etc. You admire and embrace that type of "justice", do you? Then I see you spout off again about God judging. You can't have it both ways. I'd like to think we are a bit more ahead of the game here in the US and we don't maim and murder people who we believe are guilty of crimes. What next, Star, witch trials and public hangings?
Shut up Opal...
I tend to favor an eye for an eye. Forgiveness is left to god if you believe. And opal, an eye for an eye is not a muslim phiolosphy, it's in the bible.
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot:
Exodus 21:24
So we are not so ahead of the game, since we have bomb the middle east to death, because of an eye for an eye mentality.
Eye for a eye was the rule for eons, did it make any difference? No. Fear of the punishment never enters the thoughts of the criminal.
Sick, just unbelievably sick what humans will do to each other. That poor woman.
Well what they did, I don't think is so much as sick, but cruel, yes. Now if they had a manage de tois, that would be sick.
If she was enticed to live with these people while she was in an assisted living facility, wouldn't some background checks be done regarding who she was leaving with and why she was leaving the facility? Not that her human rights would have come into question there, but the facility would have wanted to know why she was taking money out of its pockets. Regardless, these people should be confined under the same circumstances as they subjected this lady to, but for a much longer time. Someone needs to come up with a different term for human because I don't want to be in the same category as those who could do this to another.
lawful1...unless someone else had a power of attorney for this woman she would have the ability to check herself out of the facility at will. Often times when there are no immediate family members involved those who most need an advocate fall through the cracks.
I would imagine this couple of derelicts did their homework on who to invite to live with them. If her closest relative is a niece or nephew who lives a distance away then she, unfortunately, would have been a perfect victim to abuse and defraud.
I truly hope these parasites get the max and are in prison for a very long time.
Sadly, as much as we try to support the members of our society who most need an advocate and who truly require support for a dignified life in our society there are those who will work very hard to find the weak and vulnerable and prey upon them.
Not necessarily Lawful1. At 58 she's not exactly elderly, (I certainly hope not, as I'm 55) and it doesn't seem that anyone else had authority over her. The details are sketchy on whatever family involvement there is here. Her neice hadn't heard from her in a few months. That's not to say that the couple didn't let her contact her relatives before that. We just don't know.
My mother lived in Assisted living, and while I was her medical proxy I had no authority as to where she lived, etc. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself on a day to day basis. While we should keep an eye on our older relatives, there is no need to strip them of their independence unless they are incapable of taking care of themselves.
On that note, I hope that (if found guilty) this couple gets what they deserve in prison. I have heard of Prison "justice" and these two seem like perfect candidates for it.
well HELL yes they should go to prison!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why should they be any different than anyone else? I am desperate for cash most of the time. I do not burgle people's homes, I do not steal people's SS checks, and I do not beat up defensless people. Why not? you may ask. D U H!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't want to go to prison. BTW I am disabled and over 60!
What I don't get is how someone in this day and age does not have their SS payments direct deposited into bank account.
When a person lives in an assisted living facility for the disabled, the check goes directly to the facility. Usually two thirds of the check is kept by the facility and a third or often times less than a third is then given to the patient to spend on personal things.
The facilities cannot direct draw from a patients account, so they have a paper check sent to the facility. Sometimes the patients (who are usually indigent and depending on the current SSI check of around 666 dollars a month) have problems like court judgements that will garnish the money if it goes into any kind of bank account, leaving the facility to get the patient to pay the amount due which on 666 dollars a month they likely do not have.
A paper check is protected from garnishment unless they go directly to the SSI and this payment to the person is judgement proof unless they put the money in a bank account at which point it is a free for all for creditors. The person can get the money back from the creditors if they can prove it is proceeds from SSI and therby judgement proof, but it is a lengthy process and you can bet that the facility will not wait for that to happen.
Thumbs up if you think the "people" who did this to the lady deserve the death penalty. I do.
"Many that live deserve death, and some that die deserve life, can you give it to them?"
There is a terrific revulsion for those who treat the most vulnerable with cruelty. But, speaking as a Christian, I can't envision the death penalty as appropriate. We've become to accustomed to war, to senseless killing, to random violence and needless tragedy. If we do not find a way to change our perceptions could we devolve into anarchy?
David Powell....I could not agree with you more. They are broken and need to go out with the rest of the trash for good!!! However, death would be too easy for them. I say they suffer daily beatings and no food for a year first. then hang them in public.
I have to agree with Jim. The death penalty is the easy way out. Stick them in jail with the gangbangers, mobsters, stoners, etc, and let them suffer everthing they ever did to that poor woman. Over and over and over again.
Why are people so fast & happy to hand out the death penalty for every little thing that happens are you that hateful? Who made you a god that can pick who can live & who should die?
Well Greeny, David did say "Think", so in essence it's only opinion, not the power to decide life or death. So you can blame the founding fathers of the US, whom made us all able to think freely and even gave us the right to speak what we think.
hear, hear!!
Just goes to show that some people are only alive because it's illegal to shoot them.
Greeney, while I'm a firm supporter of the death penalty in certain cases, unless this woman died then these people would not qualify for it. But if they are found guilty then they must be kept in prison for life. They should never be given an opportunity to do this to another victim.
Here's 2 that deserve a bit of state funding. How much does it cost to intern them???
ET would do well to stay from planet Earth.
25 years is fine. Once every month, each receives 30 lashes. This is to be televised as a 'Pay per view'.
The proceeds will go to the old lady.
Why wasn't their "home" searched after they were both arrested for burglary? Since they both lived at the same address, it would have been sensible to see if they werein possession of stolen items. This woman would have been found sooner. What people will do for money, especially someone else's funds...
Lock them up and throw away the key - for a year anyway. And take the SS money out of their hide. Oh, that's right! You can't get blood out of a turnip can you?
Is there a punishment severe enough to fit this crime? Donovan and Washington should first be dropped repeatedly from a third-story balcony to disable them, Then they could be locked up separately in small cells, starved, beaten on a daily basis, and allowed to leave their cells for an hour each day in order to clean the hallways that pass in front of the cells of feces-and-urine-throwing crazies.
My heart goes out to the victim of their crime. May the remainder of her life be spent in loving care.
Anyone seen a story coming from MSNBC about the black panthers offering a $10,000 reward for Zimmerman " dead or alive "??
No! And we won't!!!
Sadly this is similar to the schemes used by some nursing homes, though not to this extreme extent. This was a horrible act by two individuals who have absolutely no conscience.
58? I hardly call that elderly. As to the rest of the story, these people are disgusting, vile creatures. No mercy for them at all.
Yes, I saw the story on this news last week. But I didn't hear "dead or alive", I just heard "for the capture of".
But I'm confused by this. He can they offer a $10,000 reward on Zimmerman if there is no warrant out for his arrest?
This seems like a clear case of vigilantism and it scares me. How are they any better then Zimmerman?
As a women of "color" I'm ashamed.
zimmerman should be ashame he is only worth 10k.
Oh my god how can this happen.
It is my hope and prayer that the courts throw the book at these people for such a henis act of unbeleivable behavior or better yet do the same thing to them that they did to this disabled woman.
Mam my prayers are with you and hope you recover soon.
honestly, all these people saying they are going to pray for people, do you just make a list and run through it later...? ....and dear lord....also take care of the locked-up lady, the dude who sawed his foot off and the kid they found at sea.....and oh yeah, my mom and my kids...
That's What's Up,
That is quite possibly what some people do. Why would that concern you?
Burglarizing? Why do Americans unnecessarily complicate the English language? The correct word is 'burgling'.
Because it's the most complicated language on earth. Just ax me Itellya.
Actually both are correct according to the dictionary. I believe "burglalize" is the more common term, at least in my experience, but either will do.
Kevin, probably because we are not as simple minded as the british.
My thoughts exactly. Why didn't the niece run a check on these people BEFORE she let them take her out of the assisted living?
I did not get the sense from the story that the niece has any power of attorney or other custodial arrangement with her aunt.
They should get life...and I'm being generous.
National Guard wants you back.
What they did is frowned upon in prison. They will get what coming to them 10 fold.
These are the special people that make the DEATH penalty worth fighting for.
Why who died?
This woman had been held against her will for more than a year..........................shame on her family for not checking on her more often!
58 is elderly? What the hell is 80 then, archaic?
It's a shame that the current and future generations will be working well into their 70s and likely right up until the drop dead.
On that note, this is day old news already. Sure it sucks, but lets move on now.