Search for home health care provider charged with elder abuse
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Police are searching for a home health care worker after she was caught on Nest Cam video assaulting an elderly woman. The family of the 94-year-old woman viewed the surveillance footage after finding bruises on her body. One day after installing the camera, what was captured is disturbing even to the detectives who are investigating this case.
There audio and video captured on the home surveillance camera is clear, capturing what is visibly a crime carried out against the elderly woman on Oak Valley Drive near Marsha Lane in west Houston. Memorial Villages Police Assistant Chief Ray Schultz says the video shows Brenda Floyd, 59, attacking the 94-year-old woman she was supposed to be taking care of.
Asst. Chief Schultz says Floyd flies into a rage after the 94-year-old woman feeds her dog “people food."
“She comes up behind her, starts berating her and actually slaps her in the side and back of the head," explains Asst. Chief Schultz. "As the lady gets up and is trying to work her way to get back to her bedroom with the assistance of a walker the caregiver continues to follow behind her, yelling at her and continues to strike her.”
The 94-year-old patient is diagnosed with dementia. Her adult children set up a camera when they saw bruises and they thought something had gone wrong.
"And man did it go wrong," adds Jeff McShan with Crime Stoppers of Houston. "We’ve got the video to prove it. We know who she is. We just can’t find her.”
“They (the family) had her working for them for an extended period of time -- a couple of years and they went farther than that, they helped her buy a car,” says Asst. Chief Schultz.
A warrant has been issued for Floyd’s arrest. She is charged with abuse of an elderly person, a second degree felony. Floyd is described as a white woman with black hair and brown eyes who stands at an approximate height of 5-feet 2-inches tall and weighs approximately 215 lbs.
"Obviously she’s got some anger issues," says Asst. Chief Schultz. "For her to display this type of behavior against somebody who’s completely defenseless is what makes it very disturbing. An investment in a piece of equipment like this, a camera, is worth it’s weight in gold. Unfortunately, you can’t trust anybody nowadays, you have to verify.”
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for anyone who knows where to find Floyd. She has Texas ties and is originally from Louisiana. Information may be submitted by phone at 713-222-8477 (TIPS).
"Hopefully, some of your viewers at FOX 26 will be able to recognize Brenda Floyd and know where her whereabouts are and we can put $5,000 in your pocket,” explains McShan.
”We know this (home health) is what she does for a living," says Schultz. "She was hired by somebody else for at least two days. She’s no longer working for that resident either. She’s a health care giver. She’s probably in east Texas or Louisiana continuing to do this.”
The family hired Floyd from Care.com. The online company released the following statement:
"The family wanted us to share this story so other families don’t find themselves in the same position,” says Schultz.