MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A home health aide is now behind bars after police said she was caught on camera slapping an elderly, disabled woman “unable to speak nor defend herself” at her home in Miami Gardens more than three weeks ago.
Some of the abuse, police said, was witnessed by the victim’s own granddaughter.
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Miami Gardens police said officers responded to a reported abuse call around 6 p.m. on Oct. 3 at a home near the 1800 block of Northwest 27th Avenue.
Upon arrival, authorities said they spoke with the victim’s daughter who told them that her mother needed additional assistance after a situation occurred with a health aid from Mazal Nursing Services, a home healthcare service in Miami.
The victim’s daughter told authorities that while she was at work, Fanny Santana, 49, came to her home to take care of her mother, who is paralyzed on the right side of her body.
The victim’s granddaughter told police that she was at home inside her room when Santana was taking care of her grandmother, according to the report.
The granddaughter said after hearing loud slapping noises coming from her grandmother’s room, she checked to see what was happening and noticed Santana throwing pillows around the room, the report stated.
Police said the granddaughter immediately returned to her room to retrieve her cellphone and began recording Santana being aggressive with her grandmother.
Home surveillance video later showed Santana being aggressive with the victim and “pulling off her diaper with such force that the aide almost fell backwards,” according to the report.
Investigators said the victim had a sore on her right buttock that could’ve been aggravated by Santana’s actions.
The surveillance video also showed Santana slapping the victim multiple times on her left arm and left leg, authorities said.
While bringing her in for questioning, Santana told detectives that she “had a bad night the night before and was not used to working the night shift,” the report stated.
According to jail records, Santana, who lives in northeast Miami-Dade’s Ives Estates area, is facing one charge of aggravated abuse on a disabled/elderly victim.
Authorities said she has since been fired from Mazal Nursing Services and as of Thursday, is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where her bond was set at $10,000.
