An Austin, Texas, assisted dwelling dwelling and two of its staff have been indicted this week for allegedly neglecting a 73-year-old disabled girl — who finally froze to loss of life.
Cynthia Pierce was left inside an unheated room at Harvest Renaissance on Feb. 17, 2021, as historic Winter Storm Uri handed by the area.
The home windows within the room had additionally been left broad open, prosecutors stated.
The enterprise and two staffers — Government Director Mendi Ramsay and Wellness Director Rochelle Alvarado — have been charged with harm to an aged particular person.
Workers on the facility “didn’t promptly transfer and transport” Pierce to a hotter space, in line with the indictment.
She was rushed to the hospital with a physique temperature of 94 levels, and later died of hypothermia.
The staffers are additionally accused of failing to inform the Texas Well being and Human Providers Fee they misplaced energy through the storm.
“The workers’s conduct was licensed by high-level managerial brokers, particularly Mendi Ramsay or Rochelle Alvarado, appearing on behalf of Harvest Renaissance-Austin, LLC, throughout the scope of their official duties,” in line with an announcement from the district lawyer’s workplace.
Pierce’s daughter, Holly Ferguson, alleged Harvest misrepresented themselves as a licensed care facility, and that their gross negligence led to the girl’s loss of life.
“My Mother was left alone and freezing, and it shouldn’t have occurred,” Ferguson stated. “We hope this prison case will pressure Harvest to take duty for his or her failings and make everlasting modifications in order that one thing like this by no means occurs once more.”
An lawyer for Ramsay and Alvarado argued they weren’t at fault for Pierce’s loss of life and insisted “no crime was dedicated,” in line with KXAN.
Pierce’s kin have additionally filed a civil lawsuit in opposition to the assisted dwelling facility.
