OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) – Two Ogden residents are being charged with abusing a vulnerable adult after allegedly locking him up.
Ogden Police say 55-year-old Pam Rose Langi and 52-year-old Sooletiti E. Langi are both being charged with exploitation of a vulnerable adult and abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult.
Back in Aug. 2021, South Ogden Police responded to a caller who reported their 79-year-old neighbor was yelling for help.
When police arrived at his home, they found him locked inside his bedroom. Police had to enter through a window because the bedroom door locks had been reversed to prevent the victim from leaving.
When they entered the room, they noticed a strong smell of urine and noticed the man’s catheter tube was disconnected from its collection bag. The man claimed he couldn’t find his cellphone to call for help. Police tried calling the man’s phone, but the line was disconnected.
When the victim was transported to the hospital, medical staff say the man’s catheter had not been changed or cleaned for about six months, causing a urinary tract infection.
The two suspects eventually arrived at the home and told police they were the victim’s caretakers. They admitted to reversing the doorknobs so the victim could not leave, but they claimed it was to prevent danger from using the stove or wandering off.
When questioned, they admitted the victim did not have any medical conditions that would make him a danger to himself. The suspects also admitted to not paying the victim’s phone bills because they were “wanted a break from his calls.” They claimed the phone was lost somewhere in the apartment.
On the day police discovered the victim, the suspects admitted to giving him a cup of alcohol and a sleeping pill before locking his doors.
Police looked into the financial relationship of the suspects and the victim and discovered large sums of money had been withdrawn from the victim’s account.
At one point, three cash withdrawals were made on the same day totaling $25,400. Between June 9-29, over $24,000 in cash was withdrawn from the victim’s Utah accounts.
At one point, the victim tried adding one of the suspects onto his bank account and was denied because he could not provide a death certificate for his wife. At one point, the victim’s account was flagged for potential fraud when approximately $50,000 had been withdrawn in 45 days without any major purchases.
The victim told police he paid the suspects about $20,000 for care services. Court documents say the suspects do not have a work contract and do not work for a caretaking company. The victim also said the suspects have full access to his ATM account and he has not kept track of all their withdrawals.
During police questioning, the suspects say they were involved in a Bitcoin scam and used the victim’s money, totaling around $10,000 without his knowledge.
The suspects have been charged for exploitation and abuse/neglect of a vulnerable adult.
