An upstate New York woman was arrested after state police found a nonverbal woman with a disability confined to a sweltering garbage shed, severely injured and dehydrated, officials said Thursday.
Maria Y. Traub, 75, of Hastings, was arrested Wednesday on charges of endangering the welfare of a physically disabled person and reckless endangerment, both of which are felonies, according to New York State Police.
The arrest follows a two-month investigation that stemmed from a 911 caller who requested a welfare check at a residence on the 1300 block of U.S. Route 11 in the Town of Hastings, Oswego County.
The caller, an unnamed health care provider, expressed to police their concerns that the victim, a 46-year-old woman who’s nonverbal and has a physical disability, was not receiving her required medications.
When state troopers arrived at the home, they discovered the woman confined to a shed used to store garbage, where the temperature was said to exceed 100 degrees.
She appeared to have been wearing the same soiled clothing for days and was swarmed by flies, authorities said. She was unable to sit up or drink on her own, had no access to water or temperature control, and had been using a bucket as a toilet, according to police.
The victim, who has not been identified, was “found to be severely dehydrated, unable to walk and suffering from multiple broken bones,” officials said.
She was taken to a nearby hospital, where she remained for several days. She has since been placed under the care of a court-appointed guardian.
Police did not provide details on Traub’s relationship to the victim, but Oswego County District Attorney Anthony DiMartino said Traub had guardianship of the woman, Syracuse.com reported.
Traub was arraigned in Oswego County CAP Court and released on her own recognizance.
