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Beatings of autistic woman caught on tape
Beatings of autistic woman caught on tape
Four employees of a Uniondale group home repeatedly pummeled a 50-year-old severely autistic woman who cannot speak, and several of the beatings were captured on videotape, police said yesterday.
Two of the employees were arrested and police are seeking two more; all four were fired from the group home.
The management of PLUS Group Home Inc., on Newport Road, had placed a video camera in an air- conditioning vent in the woman's room after the home's executive director noticed suspicious bruises on the resident.
The images show a horrific torrent of violence directed at the woman, who was not identified, but who authorities said is unable to care for herself or express emotions or pain.
From Aug. 9 to Thursday, she was kicked, hit in the head with a wooden clothes hanger and struck with a shoe. Just before midnight Thursday, a health care aide grabbed the woman's hair and shook her head, police said.
The home's management went to Nassau police Friday and presented detectives with the tape. Police arrested two of the employees at the facility; two other suspects were being sought last night.
All four suspects were fired from their jobs, said Terri Cancilla, the group home's executive director, who wouldn't comment on why she waited a week after documenting the first abuse Aug. 9 before contacting police. "She was a handicapped lady," Cancilla said of the victim. "I don't know why they did this."
She added that the staff is well-trained and that the employees involved in this case were "bad apples." She said all staff had been fingerprinted and passed criminal background checks before being hired.
Nelly Gedeon, 20, of 341 California Ave. in Uniondale, was charged with endangering an incompetent person and second-degree harassment. Also charged was Johny Djhon-Felix, 33, of 188-12 Mangin Ave. in St. Albans, Queens. He was charged with endangering an incompetent person, second-degree harassment and fourth-degree larceny, in connection with the camera's theft, police said.
Judge Susan Kluewer ordered Djhon-Felix held on $20,000 bond or $10,000 cash bail at his arraignment yesterday at First District Court in Hempstead. Kluewer ordered Gedeon held on $45,000 bond or $15,000 cash bail. Both entered not guilty pleas.
Police said that last Sunday, Gedeon struck the victim's head several times with a shoe. On Thursday, after hitting the victim several times, Djhon-Felix noticed he was being recorded and disconnected and stole the camera, police said.
But the videotape was not contained within the camera, said Det. Sgt. Michael Williams. Instead, he said, the surveillance was set up with recording equipment elsewhere, so the tape was preserved.
Cancillia said she believes no other residents of the home were mistreated.
Standing outside her home yesterday, Gedeon's mother said her daughter was preparing to begin nursing classes, and said she was shocked to learn from a reporter that her daughter had been arrested.
"My Nelly? My daughter?" said the woman, who declined to give her name. "Nelly's not like that. ... She loves people. She loved that job."
Djhon-Felix's wife, who declined to give her first name, when reached at home, said, "I don't believe it." She added, "I didn't see it. I have to see it myself," referring to the videotape. She said he had worked at the group home for five years.
Poor woman. Glad they were caught on the tape.
Beatings of autistic woman caught on tape
Four employees of a Uniondale group home repeatedly pummeled a 50-year-old severely autistic woman who cannot speak, and several of the beatings were captured on videotape, police said yesterday.
Two of the employees were arrested and police are seeking two more; all four were fired from the group home.
The management of PLUS Group Home Inc., on Newport Road, had placed a video camera in an air- conditioning vent in the woman's room after the home's executive director noticed suspicious bruises on the resident.
The images show a horrific torrent of violence directed at the woman, who was not identified, but who authorities said is unable to care for herself or express emotions or pain.
From Aug. 9 to Thursday, she was kicked, hit in the head with a wooden clothes hanger and struck with a shoe. Just before midnight Thursday, a health care aide grabbed the woman's hair and shook her head, police said.
The home's management went to Nassau police Friday and presented detectives with the tape. Police arrested two of the employees at the facility; two other suspects were being sought last night.
All four suspects were fired from their jobs, said Terri Cancilla, the group home's executive director, who wouldn't comment on why she waited a week after documenting the first abuse Aug. 9 before contacting police. "She was a handicapped lady," Cancilla said of the victim. "I don't know why they did this."
She added that the staff is well-trained and that the employees involved in this case were "bad apples." She said all staff had been fingerprinted and passed criminal background checks before being hired.
Nelly Gedeon, 20, of 341 California Ave. in Uniondale, was charged with endangering an incompetent person and second-degree harassment. Also charged was Johny Djhon-Felix, 33, of 188-12 Mangin Ave. in St. Albans, Queens. He was charged with endangering an incompetent person, second-degree harassment and fourth-degree larceny, in connection with the camera's theft, police said.
Judge Susan Kluewer ordered Djhon-Felix held on $20,000 bond or $10,000 cash bail at his arraignment yesterday at First District Court in Hempstead. Kluewer ordered Gedeon held on $45,000 bond or $15,000 cash bail. Both entered not guilty pleas.
Police said that last Sunday, Gedeon struck the victim's head several times with a shoe. On Thursday, after hitting the victim several times, Djhon-Felix noticed he was being recorded and disconnected and stole the camera, police said.
But the videotape was not contained within the camera, said Det. Sgt. Michael Williams. Instead, he said, the surveillance was set up with recording equipment elsewhere, so the tape was preserved.
Cancillia said she believes no other residents of the home were mistreated.
Standing outside her home yesterday, Gedeon's mother said her daughter was preparing to begin nursing classes, and said she was shocked to learn from a reporter that her daughter had been arrested.
"My Nelly? My daughter?" said the woman, who declined to give her name. "Nelly's not like that. ... She loves people. She loved that job."
Djhon-Felix's wife, who declined to give her first name, when reached at home, said, "I don't believe it." She added, "I didn't see it. I have to see it myself," referring to the videotape. She said he had worked at the group home for five years.
Poor woman. Glad they were caught on the tape.
