UPDATE: Dec. 16 at 5 p.m.
Sandy Gail Whitaker, a Lincoln County woman who was charged in November for knowingly abusing or neglecting an adult, has been indicted.
According to court documents, Whitaker was indicted on Tuesday for three felony counts and is lodged in the Casey County Detention Center on a $75,000 cash bond.
Police said that Whitaker cared for 53-year-old Tina Yocum, who is bedridden and nonverbal, through a Kentucky medicaid program. Whitaker later admitted to assaulting Yocum eight to ten times in the last year.
The abuse was captured on a baby monitor in the Yocum's family's home.
"She said she'd never laid a hand on her. I told her I had video showing a little bit different," Deputy Ron Luster previously told LEX 18. "She knew the camera was there out in the open. She didn't think it recorded."
UPDATE: Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.
A Lincoln County caregiver is facing felony charges after a family's baby monitor allegedly captured her abusing a disabled woman in her care.
Sandy Gail Whitaker was arrested on six counts of knowingly abusing or neglecting an adult after video evidence showed her allegedly punching and pulling the hair of 53-year-old Tina Yocum, who is bedridden and non-verbal.
For two years, Yocum's family trusted Whitaker to care for their loved one through a Kentucky Medicaid program. But last week, a baby monitor in their home captured disturbing footage, according to police.
The police citation alleges Whitaker was caught punching the non-verbal woman in the face, pulling her hair, and physically beating her in the back of the head.
"I knew something had to be done to charge this lady," Deputy Ron Luster said.
The family contacted the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office after noticing unexplained bruises on Yocum and reviewing the video footage.
Luster described the disturbing content of the videos during his investigation with Adult Protective Services.
"One video of her standing up and as she stands up, she punches her like in the face with her hand and then she grabs her by the back of the hair and starts shaking her head," Luster said. "On another video, she is actually feeding her with a feeding tube, and she does the same thing. She just grabs her by the back of the hair, starts jerking her head back in a chair, and then starts shaking her head. You can hear the victim crying.
Initially, Whitaker denied the allegations during questioning.
"She said she'd never laid a hand on her. I told her I had video showing a little bit different," Luster said. "She knew the camera was there out in the open. She didn't think it recorded."
Yocum's sister-in-law, Jennifer Yocum, shared her experience on Facebook to warn other families about the importance of vigilance when hiring caregivers.
"I can not stress enough the importance of cameras and also make sure they record and take the time to know what all they can do. Watch the actions of people. Do background checks and check references," she wrote.
Jennifer Yocum said the family was thorough in their hiring process and that Whitaker passed all background checks when hired through the Kentucky Medicaid program.
During the investigation, Whitaker allegedly admitted to additional incidents of abuse.
"She came forward pretty much and said that within the last year, she thinks about eight to ten times she had actually assaulted the lady," Luster said.
Additional charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
"I just don't understand someone treating someone else this way," Luster said.
Whitaker remains lodged in the Casey County Detention Center. Her next court hearing is set for November 24. She could not be reached for comment at the jail.
Original Story:
A uniform citation revealed that a Lincoln County caretaker has been charged with knowingly abusing and neglecting an adult after investigators say video evidence showed her repeatedly assaulting a nonverbal patient in her care.
The citation detailed that 48-year-old Sandy Gail Whitaker was arrested on Nov. 14 after Adult Protective Services contacted the Lincoln County Sheriff's Department about alleged abuse.
The investigation began when a woman reported that Whitaker had been employed as a caretaker for her relative and that she allegedly physically punched the nonverbal patient and grabbed her hair, the citation read.
When initially questioned about the claims on Nov. 3 and Nov. 12, Whitaker reportedly denied hitting or laying a hand on the victim, according to the citation. However, after being advised of her Miranda rights and told that investigators had video evidence from multiple dates showing physical assaults, Whitaker admitted to the abuse.
Whitaker told investigators she had physically beaten the victim in the back of the head and that video from Nov. 12 showed her punching the victim in the face, according to the citation. She stated this type of abuse happened at least six times in the past year.
The victim had a large bruise on the left side of her face and on her arms when investigators documented the case, the citation reported.
Whitaker was charged with knowingly abusing or neglecting an adult by a person.
