A Georgia lady has been jailed for allegedly neglecting her elderly and crippled mother so severely that the 82-year-old was discovered attached to her own bed owing to untreated bedsores.
Tyrossale Peak, 54, is charged with neglect of a disabled adult after police discovered her mother, Lillie Sapp, during a welfare check, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, which lists her as arrested on December 30. According to local ABC affiliate WJBF and The Augusta Press, Sapp was meant to be under hospice care but was removed in June for inexplicable reasons.
On December 30, deputies responded to Peak’s home in the 2900 block of Rollingwood Drive in Augusta to conduct a welfare check after receiving a report. According to the sheriff’s office, they arrived to find Sapp in bed with her skin adhered to the mattress, a strong odor of body material, and roaches everywhere.
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The 82-year-old was reported to be incoherent while officers worked to remove her body and seek her medical assistance. EMS personnel and even firefighters were called in to assist with her removal, which required cutting a portion of the mattress.
Sapp was taken to Wellstar MCG Health, where she was listed in stable condition. Peak spent the weekend in jail without a bond.
According to her arrest report, acquired by Law&Crime, Peak indicated during interviews with police and EMS that Sapp had “lost a bit of weight but she was fine.” She said that her mother had last seen a medical practitioner in June, when she was taken from hospice.
“Peak stated to EMS that she feeds Sapp every morning and makes sure that she drinks two to three Ensures a day,” the arrest report adds, citing a responding officer. “I walked into the kitchen area and found the kitchen to be infested with roaches,” the law enforcement officer claimed. “The sink was overflowing with dirty dishes all over.”
According to authorities, Peak terminated her mother’s hospice care and failed to provide proper therapy for herself, resulting in the accused elder abuse. It’s unknown why her mother was in hospice.
If convicted of felony neglect, Peak faces up to 20 years in jail.