Thursday, February 28, 2008
Son investigated for elder abuse in filthy house case
Inspectors found pile of cat feces, dead cats, inoperative plumbing
and winged insects in Villa Park home.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/house-maloney-public-1989404-mother-lived Thursday, February 28, 2008 Son investigated for elder abuse in filthy house case Inspectors found pile of cat feces, dead cats, inoperative plumbing and winged insects in Villa Park home. By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ and ELLYN PAK The Orange County Register Comments 5| VILLA PARK – Sixteen live cats, four dead, a 3-foot pile of feces in the middle of the living room and a urine-soaked floor are some of the reasons why investigators are looking into suspected elder abuse, neglect and animal cruelty against the son of a 76-year-old woman, authorities said. An investigation is ongoing into whether 53-year-old Kevin Maloney committed elder abuse by having his mother, Mary Maloney, live in a house so filthy that code enforcement officers were forced to red-tag it earlier this month, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The house was in such deplorable condition that a foul stench reached into the street, he said. Officials found cat feces in the living room and debris inside the home, across the street from Villa Park Elementary School on Center Drive. The kitchen was reported to have no running water, and baths and toilets were semi-operational or not working at all. Four dead cats were found inside the home – two behind a piano. Several of the cats found were also suffering from burns on their paws, believed to have been caused by the urine on the floor, Amormino said. Animal Control officers confiscated 14 cats, two kittens and found two cat skulls. Emergency personnel found the filthy house when Mary Maloney was taken to the emergency room early this month. When an ambulance arrived at the house, authorities said, Kevin Maloney had his elderly mother waiting outside the home. Investigators believe that he did this so emergency personnel would not see the condition of the house, Amormino said. Orange County Sheriff's Department investigators were contacted by hospital personnel, who said the woman in their care was suffering from a rash and several other ailments, and appeared to be badly fed and cared for. Investigators served a search warrant on the house Feb. 6, allowing the city's code enforcement officers to inspect the house. City officials are expected to hold a public forum March 11 to decide if the home is a public nuisance. The Maloneys will have 30 days to meet the city's requirements after the public hearing, or they could face a lien. The house will likely be razed, according to Maloney and the city. Kevin Maloney said in an interview Tuesday that his elderly mother was unable to maintain the home where she lived for more than 20 years. He also said he lived in Los Alamitos and that his mother was currently hospitalized with blood clots. "I knew it was coming," said Maloney, who also added that he assumed his mother was taking care of the home. Maloney was allowed to check out the house key from the city during daytime hours to clean up the home, according to city officials. Investigators believe he in fact did live at the home, Amormino said, including in January when Mary Maloney was bedridden. Investigators are expected to recommend charges to the District Attorney's Office by early next week, Amormino said. |