Disabled Mom Grows Molds in Her Body, Dies From Neglect by Her Adult Children

Three adult children are facing charges of serious bodily injury after the authorities found their mom, Patricia Martinez, 57, living in filthy conditions with molds growing out of her body.

Martinez was brought to a hospital in San Antonio, Texas, for medical attention on Thursday, August 18, but she died two days later. Siblings Pedro Luis Carrero, 18, Rozanna Carrero, 24, and Oscar Dominguez, 37, have been living in Martinez's home. According to the New York Post, her adult children received training on how to take care of their mom since she had a disability.

However, the children failed to feed, clean and change their mother's diaper, as well as give her medications. Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said that the siblings left their mom to die in deplorable conditions. It's still unclear if their charges will change due to Martinez's death.

Martinez collected medical assistance from the state

Salazar told KHOU that Adult Protective Services received a tip about her condition. The agency visited the mom to find her incapacitated with infections and insects on her body. Martinez was also wearing a soiled adult diaper packed with feces that appeared to have dried out.

At the hospital, Martinez was placed in the ICU because she was in diabetic shock, septic shock, and end-stage renal failure. She also needed a ventilator because she experienced acute hypoxia.

The authorities said that the children were aware of their responsibilities toward their sick and disabled mom and even planned to split their duties. Martinez's medical care was provided by the state.

Previous records on the mother's medical visits indicated that some of the hospital staff did notice that her children never made efforts to help her out of the vehicle despite her disability. She would also come for check-ups without any shoes.

The police also discovered guns and shields in the family's garage. It's still unclear if the adult children have been using the government money collected for their mother's care.

Stanley Cooper, the family's next-door neighbor, said had no idea this was going on. He said that the family moved in about a year and a half ago, per Daily Mail.

Bexar County adult abuse is one of the highest in the U.S.

According to KSAT, Bexar County's adult abuse cases reached 10,082 in 2021, which is higher than the incidents reported in Dallas, Travis and Tarrant. Ann Cortez of the Adult Prevention Services said that most cases are self-neglect but there are also many incidents of caregivers who are not providing for the needs of the patient.

Some signs to watch out for in cases of adult abuse or neglect include obvious weight loss in the elderly person or mail piling up on the front porch. A long-lost relative may also suddenly be at the elderly's house to take over the finances but cannot explain why the bills remain unpaid.

Cortez did not want to comment on Martinez's case as it was an active investigation. However, she stressed that most adult abuse perpetrators are known to the victim or could be close family members.