A caretaker at United Cerebral Palsy of Georgia’s Travis Home in Stone Mountain was fired and charged with elder abuse after allegedly hitting a patient.

Patricia Riddick, 61, said the patient came up behind her and in order to get him to “back off,” she started hitting him with “items resulting in bruising,” a warrant says.

She said the victim had hit her the day before, but police found no record of that. After an internal investigation at the home, she was fired, the warrant said.

The alleged incident was in September, but the charge wasn’t filed until this month.

Riddick, who is out on bond following her arrest Monday, didn’t immediately respond to a phone message Friday.

UPC of Georgia, which runs the home on South Hairston Road, also couldn’t be reached for comment.

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