Woman Arrested For Abusing Disabled Nursing Home Resident

Florida Fort Walton Beach The Florida Attorney General's Office says Latoera O’Neal grabbed the victim by his feet and pulled him off the nursing home's van causing him to hit his head on the floor of the van the running board and the pavement.

by Jamie Burch

Published: Thu, June 18, 2009 - 9:35 am CST Last Updated: Thu, June 18, 2009 - 11:36 am CST

The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office has arrested a Gulf Breeze woman accused of abusing a disabled nursing home resident.

Latoera O’Neal used to work as a caregiver at Horizons of Okaloosa in Fort Walton Beach. According to the Florida Attorney General's Office, O’Neal grabbed the victim by his feet and pulled him off the nursing home's van, causing him to hit his head on the floor of the van, the running board and the pavement. People who saw it happen told investigators they were shocked. O’Neal was immediately suspended and soon quit her job.

O’Neal is charged with one count of abuse of a disabled person. If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

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Bikermike Says:

Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 5:38 pm

they should lock her up and throw away the key,she would have to deal with me if that was my kin.

TruthBeKnown Says:

Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 1:58 pm

First off lets get the record straight on the info in this article. Horizons is not a nursing home. It is an agency for disabled individuals. Secondly, potential employees are screened both through the local,state and federal legal system by their finger prints. If any report comes back in their record that is not within the state hiring guidelines i.e. abuse, then they are not hired. Unfortunately, every once in a while a bad apple has to start rotting somewhere and it happened to be at this agency. And lastly, suspension is commmon practice until the ‘state’ can further investigate and determine the cause, blame, true story, etc.

kathy36610 Says:

Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 11:55 am

She should be ashamed of herself! How could you do that to an old man! One day she will be old. They really need to screen these people. She was only suspended? I would never send anyone I loved to that place. Just imagine what she was doing that nobody saw.