Caregiver arrested after elderly victim found in human waste

DADE CITY (FOX 13) - Pasco County Deputies doing a welfare check in Dade City discovered an elderly, bedridden man lying in feces and urine. 

They say the man was living in filth and had serious infections and wounds on his body. A caregiver was arrested after the discovery, deputies say.

Pasco County deputies arrested 52-year-old Richard Meyes IV after making a welfare check at the Dade City home. When they entered the home, they found “extremely deplorable and dangerous conditions” inside making it “uninhabitable,” according to Meyes’ arrest affidavit. 

The floors were covered “several inches deep” with trash and feces – both from dogs and human. Three people, about 11 dogs, and birds were living inside the two-bedroom home who all defecated on the floors and beds, according to deputies.

The 80-year-old victim was found in one of the bedrooms laying on the soiled mattress, which had contact with his open wounds and bed sores. He was transported to the hospital where he was diagnosed with stage 4 of Necrotic wounds, due to lack of medical care, deputies said. 

The victim had spent an unknown period of time bedroom, and emergency room personnel had to clean the dog and human waste out of his hair and body, “which would have proved fatal without professional intervention,” according to the affidavit.

Meyes admitted he was responsible for the condition of the victim and home, deputies said. He was charged with neglect of the elderly. The home has since been condemned and animal services removed several dogs. 

52-year-old Richard Meyes IV was arrested Tuesday.  Court documents say the elderly man Meyes was caring for was bedridden and in pain, but Meyers left him living in deplorable and dangerous conditions because he didn’t want anyone to see the filth.

“Awful, awful,” said neighbor Keith Hartwell.  “No human being, no animal should live like that.”

Hartwell tells us the elderly victim is Meyes’ father.

The house is now condemned.  From the outside, the property is littered with old appliances, boats, and cars.  Investigators say the inside was much worse.

“To live the way they found him, unbelievable,” Hartwell said.

Arrest paperwork says the floors of the home were covered several inches deep with trash, dog waste, and human feces, uninhabitable conditions as well as a deteriorating structure.

Three people were living in the home, along with eleven dogs, and some birds.  According to investigators, the 80-year-old man shared his bed with the dogs that slept and went to the bathroom around him.  He was lying on feces and urine, and his mattress and blanket were completely soiled.

“This is just a complete situation of just not caring about his own father, it’s sad,” said Hartwell.

Officials say the man was severely neglected.  He had infected bed sores and developed advanced stages of sepsis along with necrotic wounds.  Without medical care, the 80-year-old victim could have died.

According to court documents, Meyes admitted he was responsible for the elderly victim and refused to get him medical help, seemingly because he was embarrassed by the dirty and disgusting state of the house.

“Hopefully big Richard can pull out of it and get some help, you know, and be alright,” Hartwell said.

The sheriff’s office says it’s unclear how long the elderly victim has been bedridden, but he couldn’t carry a conversation with deputies when they found him.

Meyes was cited for four code violations, and charged with neglect.