Victims, officials say woman neglected essential needs

Published 10:00 am Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Two vulnerable adults say an Austin woman whom they were living with abandoned them and left them living in squalor.

Now 32-year-old Rosalba Perez faces two felony and two gross misdemeanor charges of criminal neglect of a vulnerable adult. She was charged on Jan. 10 and appeared in Mower County Court on Monday.

According to the court complaint, an officer went to the Austin home on Sept. 19, where he found a 62-year-old man and 83-year-old woman living in filth. Perez was supposed to be caring for them, the complaint adds. The officer said the house reeked of urine and was riddled with old food on plates and in containers. There were also many beer cans outside. A social worker claims Perez was cashing the victims’ social security checks and keeping the money.

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The victims said Perez collected rent from them but did not pay the rent on the home. They added Perez would not cook for them, would only give them what was left of what she ate and would not wash clothes for them.

The male victim, who suffers from diabetes, cannot stand and was lying in his own urine, the complaint added. Both victims had very high blood pressure, and doctors discovered the woman was suffering from congestive heart failure, as well. The victims have since moved into a nursing home.

Perez is scheduled to be in court on April 18.