Investigators have arrested two Pinellas caretakers after a 66-year-old woman died alone in a filthy Gulfport home Friday.
Jennifer Poulos, 41, and Debra Poulos, 61, allegedly left the victim to die while fully aware of her inability to care for herself.
A death investigation revealed the home was infested with thousands of roaches, the air conditioning didn't work and the walkways were cluttered to the point that some rooms were totally blocked. But the suspects didn't do anything about it, according to investigators.
A Gulfport police report said the two caretakers lived in the home for nearly eight months before moving out 8-10 days before the death. While the victim was "confined" to a lounge chair, police said the two suspects each had their own bedrooms in the home. The reportedly moved out due to the deplorable living conditions, but left the victim behind.
After moving out, police said the women returned to the home to check on the victim, but despite being aware of the victim's condition and urgent medical need, they did not get her any help. On one "check-up" shortly before the victim's death, they found the victim unresponsive on the floor near her lounge chair -- but still didn't seek medical attention.
They found the 66-year-old woman dead in that same position just one day later.
According to police, the two women then told their pastor about the situation first, who promptly told them to call police.
Authorities found the victim in a extremely frail state with injuries consistent with bed sores and long-term neglect.
Officers also discovered a 4-year-old boy had been living in the home with the suspects, which police considered to be "uninhabitable" conditions. Child Protective Services discovered this was Jennifer's son, and removed the boy from her custody pending an investigation.
Both suspects now face one count of neglect or abuse of an elderly or disabled adult. Jennifer Poulos also faces an additional charge of child neglect.
GPD says the home was uninhabitable and was not maintained to keep the child in good physical and/or mental health.
Check back for updates to this story as more information becomes available.
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