Mom dies after rescue from ‘deplorable’ home under care of her kids, Texas officials say

A 57-year-old woman found living in “deplorable conditions” inside a Texas home with her adult children has died as a result of their neglect, officials say.

Deputies with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office found Patricia Martinez covered in bed sores, with mold growing on parts of her body, during a search of a home on the 7900 block of Caballo Canyon in San Antonio, Sheriff Javier Salazar said during a press conference.

The room where she was being kept was infested with insects, Salazar added.

Authorities rescued Martinez from the home on Thursday, Aug. 18, and arrested her three adult children, ages 18, 24, and 37.

“She was in such deplorable conditions that we felt the need to take resolute action very quickly,” Salazar said.

Martinez was taken to a hospital and put on a ventilator. She was “clinging to life,” Salazar said, and was pronounced dead two days later, on Saturday, Aug. 20.

The three siblings, two brothers and a sister, were supposed to be taking care of their mother, who suffered from “ongoing medical issues,” according to Salazar. They had even received training and equipment from the state in order to do so.

The trio agreed to work together as caretakers, investigators said, divvying up tasks such as feeding, cleaning and changing Martinez — things she was unable to do on her own.

But, for whatever reason, they didn’t follow through, according to authorities.

“By all accounts they did none of it, for quite some time,” Salazar said.

Her health deteriorated rapidly under their care, Salazar said. The evidence of neglect and abuse prompted medical providers to contact Adult Protective Services, which in turn contacted the sheriff’s office.

The three siblings were booked into the Bexar County Jail and face charges of injury to a disabled person resulting in serious bodily injury.

Bond is set at $85,000 each, Salazar said during an Aug. 22 press conference.

It isn’t clear if more serious charges will be brought now that Martinez has died, but it’s a move Salazar said he would welcome.

This story was originally published August 22, 2022 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Mom dies after rescue from ‘deplorable’ home under care of her kids, Texas officials say."