DANIA BEACH, Fla. — Authorities say a South Florida landlord employed violence as a means to financially exploit a 78-year-old tenant with dementia, “punching him” if he did not sign checks.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies captured a seemingly smirking Anne-Marie Lake in a jail mugshot as they booked her on charges of elderly exploitation and battery on a person 65 or older on Friday.
Investigators said Lake, 61, was arrested at the Dania Beach home she shared with the victim.
An arrest report states that deputies were originally called to the home in the 3000 block of Southwest 50th Street on July 8 after the victim reported that Lake punched him in the head, which he said had been happening since 2013.
Deputies said they asked the man why he hadn’t called them before and he said “he did not want to get her in trouble” and said he’s been hospitalized in the past after she’s hit him.
“Additionally, (the man) showed signs of injury on his hands and fingers,“ the report states. ”When questioned about these injuries, he explained that they were caused by Anne-Marie striking him on his hands, leading to skin abrasions and bleeding.”
Deputies said the man admitted to provoking Lake at times so he could get relocated to North Florida. They said they forwarded the case on to the Broward State Attorney’s Office for review.
According to a second arrest report, a Florida Department of Children and Families investigation about the man “possibly being exploited and abused” prompted a second visit to the home Friday.
That report states that the man told investigators that Lake “would hit him when he doesn’t clean correctly and would take his cellphone” and that she “would force him to write checks worth $800 every month by punching him if he did not sign the checks.”
“Lake would punch him in the chest and arm constantly till he submits to her,” a deputy wrote.
Deputies said the man’s only income was $987 from Social Security and he told them that he hadn’t had access to his money for 10 years. Lake would also take his food stamp card, authorities said.
Lake, deputies said, “would use the remainder $187 for anything that would come up.”
“(The victim) said that he was over getting hit, so he stopped refusing to sign the checks,” the report states.
They said they also spoke to Lake.
“Lake advised that (the victim) is unable to take care of himself, so she took it upon herself to take over (his) finances,” the report states. “Lake also advised that she cooks and provides groceries for (him). Lake was found in possession of (his) Centennial Bank checkbook. (The victim) advised that he had never given Lake power of attorney over him.”
Deputies concluded that Lake “exploited approximately $118,440” from the man over the past decade. They said in an interview, she admitted to taking the man’s checkbook and food stamp card “due to him having dementia and overspending his money.”
They wrote that Lake “did admit to hitting (the man) once; however, she stated it was because he looked down her shirt.”
Court records show the Connecticut-born Lake posted a $5,000 bond on Saturday.
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