New Jersey women face charges of neglecting disabled people in group home

From the Hunterdon County Democrat in N.J.:

Two women face numerous charges for allegedly neglecting the disabled people they were supposed to be taking care of in a group home in Hunterdon County.

Debra Sloan, 55, of Bloomsbury and Bridget Grimes, 52, of Philipsburg are named in the grand jury indictment which was handed up on Oct. 28. It charges them with two counts of aggravated assault, second degree; six counts of official misconduct, second degree; three counts of neglecting and elderly or disabled person, third degree; two counts of violating a law to protect public health and safety, third degree; two counts of theft by failure to make required disposition, third degree and two counts of criminal restraint, third degree.

The charges follow an investigation into the death of a 28-year-old developmentally disabled woman living in a state- licensed and funded care home in Alexandria Township.

According to published reports, Tara O’Leary was removed from the home in September 2008 following a tip to officials regarding the quality of care she and the home’s two other residents were receiving.

The 4-foot-10-inch woman, who died at Hunterdon Medical Center on Nov. 10, reportedly weighed just 48 pounds when she was removed from the home.

Both women allegedly caused serious bodily injury to O’Leary between December 2006 and Sept. 11, 2008. They allegedly also hurt Erin Germaine between March 2007 and Sept. 11, 2008.

Starting in 2002, Grimes allegedly abused her position as a habilitation planning coordinator for the Division of Developmental Disabilities to steal money and merchandise from O’Leary, Germaine and Lydia Joy Perry, restrain them, assault them and otherwise refrain from doing the duties of her job, for the benefit of herself and Sloan on several occasions.

Besides allegedly allowing O’Leary and to starve, the two defendants allegedly kept her in her room and denied her family members access to the home.

They allegedly also kept Germaine confined in her room, failed to provide proper nourishment and failed to seek medical treatment in a timely manner.

Sloan and Grimes allegedly put Perry in charge of taking care of O’Leary and threatened to remove Perry from the home. Sloan and Grimes also allegedly failed to provide medical care to Perry and kept her family from accessing the home.