A Cobb County woman is accused of allowing her elderly, bedridden mother to live in filth so long, she developed a bed sore down to the bone.
The 87-year-old woman had not seen a doctor in several years, appeared to have not been bathed in months, and had fingernails and toenails several inches long, according to an arrest warrant obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The woman had lost about 40 pounds since December, relatives told police.
"Packed dirt was prevalent on the victim's body," the warrant states. "There was a trail of feces from the bed to the bathroom. The feces was packed into the fibers of the carpet and the entire home smelled of feces."
A concerned relative contacted Kennesaw police to report the suspected neglect. After investigating the home, police obtained an arrest warrant for Tara Dawn Smith and charged her with cruelty to a person 65 years of age or older, a felony. Smith spent about 11 hours in the Cobb County jail on April 17 before posting $7,500 bond, according to booking records.
Smith and her mother both own the Sumit Wood Drive home where the alleged neglect took place, according to Cobb County property records.
Smith told police she knew should have called 911 or asked family members for help several weeks ago, the warrant states.
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