A former employee of a Miami-Dade living facility has been arrested after authorities said she was caught on camera abusing an 87-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mayte Todd-Molina, 42, faces two counts of elder abuse following an investigation by the Miami-Dade Police Department and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Medical Fraud Unit.
According to a press release issued by the Public Prosecution Office, the investigation began when a personal assistant who did not work at the facility informed the resident’s family of unexplained bruises on his body.
Authorities said the facility, which was not mentioned in the press release, had no explanation or report of any accidents that may have caused the bruising.
As a result, a family member of the victim placed a hidden camera in the victim’s room to find answers, and a week later, a family member retrieved the video clip showing Todd Molina pulling the resident’s hair and forcing his head back, according to authorities. .
On another occasion, video footage showed Todd Molina slapping her female resident in the face and pulling her hair, authorities said.
Todd Molina was booked into Miami-Dade Jail on Wednesday, where she was being held on a $10,000 bond. Lawyer information was not available.
Moody’s office said Todd Molina faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
“It is very sad to see a caregiver abuse a patient. Florida residents use assisted living facilities once they are no longer able to care for themselves and trust that caregivers will help them, not hurt them,” Moody said in a statement. “The suspect in this case has been arrested and will have to appear in court and respond to these outrageous acts.”
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