Eddie Mojica Pérez, a caregiver at the Casa Dorada elderly care home in Las Piedras, Puerto Rico, admitted to authorities that he assaulted an 87-year-old woman on Saturday. He faces psychiatric evaluations, according to Telenoticias. Mojica was hospitalized Sunday while authorities investigated. Investigators plan to obtain video footage to clarify the events, and Mojica could face criminal charges.
Police found the victim on the floor with abrasions on various parts of her body and head trauma; she remains hospitalized. Mojica claimed his actions were part of a "ritual" involving giving the woman pills so she could "rest in peace," and said he was following instructions from a coworker who handed off the shift to him. The Department of the Family announced it immediately canceled Casa Dorada's operating license following this new alleged abuse case. The home was already under administrative investigation for alleged negligence, and most residents had already been relocated.
Only two private-pay residents remained at the time of the incident, whose families had opted to keep them there while arranging transfers. Following the July 11 incident and license cancellation, the Department said it would notify remaining families that day. Neighbors demanded the home's immediate closure and criticized delays in addressing prior complaints.