Caregivers choked, waterboarded disabled patients, Oklahoma cops say. ‘Extreme abuse’
Police in Enid, Oklahoma, have arrested two men and are looking for a third man who they said physically abused patients with disabilities.
“The abuse included choking clients until they were unconscious and then beating them until they regained consciousness, forms of waterboarding in the facility’s showers and enticing other clients to participate in the abuse of specific clients,” according to a news release from the Enid Police Department.
Jonathan Martinez, 21, and Jhon Alan Nieto, 24, were arrested on felony charges of abuse by caretaker and conspiracy, police said.
Jonathan Colon Orozco, 28, is also facing charges of abuse by caretaker and conspiracy. However, police said they believe he fled the state.
McClatchy News could not find an attorney listed for Nieto or Martinez.
The investigation began in June, when a former employee reported “systematic abuse of clients” at the Robert M Greer Center to police, according to the news release.
McClatchy News reached out to the Robert M Greer Center on Nov. 16 but did not immediately hear back.
Police said the three men conspired and “coordinated the physical abuse of several clients” at the facility. Officials said they have other suspects and further charges could be brought forth.
The Robert M Greer Center is a “short-term treatment facility for adults who are dually diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and co-occurring mental illness and/or severe behavioral challenges,” the news release said.
“The allegations against personnel at the Robert M. Greer Center are heinous, especially in light of the vulnerable population being housed at the facility,” the Department of Oklahoma Human Services said in a statement to McClatchy News.
The department also said it is cooperating with law enforcement throughout the investigation.
“Additionally, we are halting any new admissions and have reached out to the operators of the Greer Center to ensure appropriate steps are being taken to cooperate in any investigation and, more importantly, ensure the ongoing safety of all residents under the facility’s care,” the statement said.
Oklahoma Sen. Paul Rosino also shared a statement. Rosino serves as the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, according to a news release.
“The allegations of extreme abuse coming from the Robert M. Greer Center in Enid shook me to my core. We have invested so much time, effort, and resources in building a system that provides for a good life for Oklahomans with developmental disabilities. We will not tolerate maltreatment of people. Period,” Rosino said in the statement.
Police said they are still investigating.
Enid is about 89 miles north of Oklahoma City.
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