BARTOW, Fla. — The City of Bartow is doubling down on questions concerning the code compliance of the group home where an 81-year-old man was murdered.
It happened 10 days ago in the Wind Meadows subdivision of Bartow.
ABC Action News Reporter Annette Gutierrez has been on this story since it broke on May 18.
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"Never would I have thought that I would be involved in something like this, never," said Eddrena Thornton.
About five years ago, Eddrena Thornton decided to start a group home business called ET Home Care LLC. Her home on 2233 Bluebird Ave is licensed as an adult family care home. But the one across the street at 2226 was not.
This is where 81-year-old Patrick Benway was stabbed to death.
She was renting the property and using it as a shared living space.
According to the City of Bartow, a group home is defined as a family living environment with supervision and care necessary to meet the physical, emotional, and social needs of its residents.
She had three elderly people living in it before 18-year-old Moses Ojeda, the suspect accused of killing Patrick, moved in.
The city stated that having these residents live there constituted a code violation.
"We were able to determine based on our investigation with her that she is accepting fees and money for these individuals to stay here," said Code Compliance & Neighborhood Services Director Tray Towles. "She had indicated that they have mental health issues and that they are not related to her, so that in it of itself would make it a group home situation."
Thornton said she created this business to help people who don’t have a place to go because of their criminal background, their mental health status, and their income.
"I’m doing my best to try to help society and, and keep these people off the streets and help these people get - feel loved and get the care that they need," said Thornton.
She said she didn’t realize she had violated any rules because the home on 2226 was designed to be an independent style of living.
"I thought that as long as they live on their own and I'm not doing care for them, you know, I thought that it was fine," said Thornton.
She said that had she known, she would have gotten the proper permits.
Now, the investment company that owns the property on 2226 is evicting her.
Towles said if they all move out, she won’t face any code violations.
"Code violations, the goal of those are compliance," said Towles. "So compliance in this situation appears to be that it’s going to go out of business, and then there is therefore no violation
So, they did. Thornton said the two other residents who were living there are now in another group home entirely.
But she said she is still heartbroken about the situation.
"I do fault myself some," said Thornton.
Thornton said there was miscommunication about Ojeda’s diagnosis between the hospital records and what Ojeda’s mom had told her.
"I took a part in taking this guy in truth, true," said Thornton. "But my heart was in it to help this family, and I got caught up in a bad situation."
After doing interviews with her, Towles said he agrees.
"Beyond not getting the proper permitting, maybe her heart was in the right place for this situation," said Thornton. She just didn’t go about it the right way."
Thornton said she has hired a lawyer and plans to take legal action against the people who cleared Ojeda on his mental diagnosis.
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