Police arrested two employees at a Delaware County assisted-living community after the women allegedly punched, kicked and stripped a 78-year-old dementia patient, authorities say.
Samirah Traynnham, 22, was arrested on charges of aggravated assault, simple assault, criminal conspiracy, neglect and endangerment, police say.
"The victim repeatedly told her daughter that she was being punched and slapped by Quadrangle employees," Said Delaware County District Attorney Mike Green.
Another woman, Tyrinna Griffin, was also arrested Wednesday on suspicion of abuse, police say.
On Thursday Ayesha Muhammed appeared before a Haverford judge for her alleged role in the abuse. The 19-year-old allegedly poked the victim in the eye, restricted her from leaving the room and laughed at the victim.
According to court records the alleged attackers claim that the abuse was just a joke.
The family of the 78-year-old woman who was allegedly beaten had suspicions that the dementia patient was being abused and brought their complaints the management at Sunrise Senior Living in the Quadrangle community in Haverford, who dismissed them, according to the D.A.
With no help from management, the family then set up a motion-activated hidden camera in the 78-year-old's room in the community at 3300 Darby Road, the district attorney says.
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The hidden camera captured Traynnham and two other employees violently shaking, kicking and punching the elderly woman. On one occasion captured on video, Traynnham tried to pull a ring off of the woman’s finger, authorities say.
The 12-minute video that was captured in late March also shows the woman's shirt being ripped off of her and as the 78-year-old is naked from the waist down, the victim tries to covers herself up and leave the room.
Investigators say that if the family hadn't installed the camera, the abuse could have continued.
Traynnham admitted to police that she hit the woman, but said that she did not "purposely" strike or shove the victim, police say.
And as Griffin was led off in handcuffs Wednesday she told reporters that the abuse "wasn't intentional."
Virginia-based Sunrise Senior Living runs the Quadrangle. On Thursday they released the following statement:
For 30 years, Sunrise and our team members have been dedicated to our mission of delivering quality care to our residents. We work in a highly regulated environment and have worked closely with regulators including the DPW. Over the last several years, we have devoted substantial resources to address the concerns raised by the DPW. Any time an incident has been brought to our attention, we have investigated it and addressed it to the satisfaction of the DPW.
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