GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) – Investigators have said a man was kept in filth and locked in a bedroom for years.
A warrant has been issued for 69-year-old Darlene Dickinson of Greenwood for neglecting the care of her husband.
According to court documents, the investigation began when police were contacted by a concerned neighbor on May 19. They told police they saw their elderly disabled neighbor stumbling onto the front porch of his home. They told police when they went up to him, he was covered in feces.
Police said when officers arrived, they found the elderly man sitting on the front porch in a dirty shirt and dirty adult diaper. Police said the man is a stoke survivor and uses a wheelchair after a leg amputation.
During the investigation, police found the majority of the home was clean, but the man was living in a bedroom that was covered in trash, feces and old food. Police said the man was in poor health, very thin and possibly malnourished. The man was taken to the hospital and was reported to be 100 pounds on May 19, court documents state.
The man told police he had been locked in his room for the past couple of years. He described the room to police as “filthy.” Court documents state he told police he would receive only one “Meals on Wheels” and a warm Pepsi each day by his wife. He said he had only been out of his room once in the past two years. He also reported to police he did not receive any of his prescription medications.
According to documents, the man is now living with his son and daughter, and is now in better health. The victim is reported to have gained back almost 30 pounds as of July 27.
Dickinson faces the offense of neglect of a dependent. The sentencing range in Indiana is six months to two and a half years.