A 70-year-old nursing assistant was arrested Thursday, months after police said she was caught on camera stabbing a 78-year-old man with a fork at a rehabilitation facility in Fort Lauderdale.
Authorities responded to the Savoy of Fort Lauderdale Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, located at 2121 E. Commercial Blvd., where a facility manager reported the facility was conducting an internal investigation into “elder abuse and injuries sustained by patients” on May 11.
Surveillance footage recorded at 8:13 p.m., 8:40 p.m., and 8:58 p.m. that day showed CNA Nerissa Betton “engaging in physically abusive behavior toward several patients,” according to the police report.
In one video, Betton appeared to repeatedly strike and stab a 78-year-old man with her hands and a metal fork, inflicting wounds on his right leg and forehead that caused “profuse bleeding,” police said.
After stabbing the victim, Betton was seen attempting to stop the bleeding with paper towels, police said. She then notified other nurses on the floor, who continued treating the man’s injuries, according to the arrest report.
In a written internal report regarding the incident, authorities said Betton falsely claimed that the man had caused his own injuries by banging his head on a table.
Shortly after the stabbing occurred, police said Betton “aggressively struck” an 87-year-old woman and another patient, who they did not identify in the report.
The facility’s internal investigation team reviewed the surveillance footage, which contradicted Betton’s claims, according to police.
Investigators confirmed the footage provided “clear evidence” of Betton’s actions, showing that the victims’ injuries were not self-inflicted but the result of her physical abuse.
Betton was placed on administrative leave pending further investigation, authorities confirmed.
Jail records show she is facing two counts of abuse of an elderly or disabled adult without great bodily harm, one count of aggravated battery on a person 65 years or older and a separate charge of neglect or abuse of an elderly person.
Betton appeared in Broward County court on Friday, where a judge held without bond and barred her from contacting the victims. The judge also ruled that Betton is not allowed to be employed in any capacity where she treats elderly or disabled individuals until further notice from the court.
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Source: Local10
