
Audio By Carbonatix
A 57-year-old woman found living in “deplorable conditions” inside a Texas home with her adult children has died as a result of their neglect, officials say.
Deputies with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office found Patricia Martinez covered in bed sores, with mold growing on parts of her body, during a search of a home on the 7900 block of Caballo Canyon in San Antonio, Sheriff Javier Salazar said during a press conference.
The room where she was being kept was infested with insects, Salazar added.
Authorities rescued Martinez from the home on Thursday, August 18, and arrested her three adult children, ages 18, 24, and 37.
“She was in such deplorable conditions that we felt the need to take resolute action very quickly,” Salazar said.
Martinez was taken to a hospital and put on a ventilator. She was “clinging to life,” Salazar said, and was pronounced dead two days later, on Saturday, Aug. 20.
The three siblings, two brothers and a sister, were supposed to be taking care of their mother, who suffered from “ongoing medical issues,” according to Salazar. They had even received training and equipment from the state in order to do so.
The trio agreed to work together as caretakers, investigators said, divvying up tasks such as feeding, cleaning and changing Martinez — things she was unable to do on her own.
But, for whatever reason, they didn’t follow through, according to authorities.
“By all accounts they did none of it, for quite some time,” Salazar said.
Her health deteriorated rapidly under their care, Salazar said. The evidence of neglect and abuse prompted medical providers to contact Adult Protective Services, which in turn contacted the sheriff’s office.
The three siblings were booked into the Bexar County Jail and face charges of injury to a disabled person resulting in serious bodily injury.
Bond is set at $85,000 each, Salazar said during an Aug. 22 press conference.
It isn’t clear if more serious charges will be brought now that Martinez has died, but it’s a move Salazar said he would welcome.
Latest Stories
-
AMA presents 997 school desks to improve teaching and learning in public schools
3 minutes -
Beyond drains: Susan Adu-Amankwah prescribes lasting solution to Accra floods
7 minutes -
GES, UMA-Subika hold reading competitions to boost literacy in Asutifi North
34 minutes -
Ashanti Regional Minister, Zoomlion launch sustained sanitation campaign in Ashanti
3 hours -
Muzic Mensah earns four nominations at 2026 Ghana Music Awards USA
4 hours -
2026 U17 WWCQ: Black Maidens snatch late draw in first leg against Senegal
4 hours -
Flood mitigation should be continuous, not a one-off effort – Expert warns
4 hours -
From Tragedy to Triumph: Ghana’s path to flood resilience (A Story of Lessons Learned, Global Inspiration, and a Collective Commitment to a Better Future)
4 hours -
Kristo Asafo dispute centres on my father’s final directives, not inheritance — Adwoa Safo
5 hours -
Kristo Asafo saga: ‘My dad didn’t die intestate; he left a valid will’ – Adwoa Safo
5 hours -
New Eastern Regional Fire Commander tours stations, identifies key operational challenges
5 hours -
Government fully responsible for Accra flooding crisis – Miracles Aboagye
5 hours -
Successive governments have failed to address flooding crisis – Susan Adu-Amankwah
5 hours -
No one can hold title on Ramsar sites – Inusah Fuseini warns against encroachment
5 hours -
We don’t need prayers or relief items; enforce the law – Samson Lardy Anyenini on recurring floods
6 hours