PRICHARD, Ala. (AP) — A resident of a group home for intellectually disabled people in Alabama was beaten by the boyfriend of an employee, police said.
The employee and the resident of JLW Place had a dispute on June 14 and the employee called her boyfriend instead of calling police, Prichard Police Lt. Robert Martin told local news outlets. The boyfriend and the resident then got into a physical fight. A family member later removed the resident from the home. Police say they plan criminal charges against the employee, who has been fired, and the boyfriend.
“For them to just get to this state … calling other people there to beat up a person or resident who is attending there. I find that to be a coward way,” Martin said.
The resident, a 25-year-old man, had a black eye, cuts on his body, puncture wounds in his neck and severe bruising, Martin said. Photos published by the news outlets show large patterns of abrasions or bruises on the man’s back.
“It was severe enough to where it’s basically traumatizing,” Martin told WALA-TV.
The owner and executives of the home did not respond to requests for comments or hung up on phone calls, the news outlets reported.
The Alabama Department of Mental Health certified the home as a residential facility for people with intellectual disabilities. The department is investigating, along with the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Mental health authorities say they hadn’t received prior complaints about the home.
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