CONNECTICUT -- A Groton man was arrested Sunday after police said that he neglected an 86-year-old woman that was under his care.
Hans P. Swainson, 64, of 230 Ring Drive was charged with cruelty to persons.
In May, emergency medical services responded to the Ring Drive residence for a medical call involving the elderly woman, Groton Town Police Lt. John Varone said. While there, they noticed the unsanitary environment that the woman was living in.
Varone said the woman was not Swainson’s mother, and is not sure how she came to be under his care. The woman was taken to an area hospital.
The case was initially referred to the town’s Human Services, but after further investigation a criminal case was pursued, Varone said.
Varone said the investigation showed that the woman was neglected and forced to live in an unhealthy environment.
In July, police and the animal control officer executed a search-and-seizure warrant at Swainson’s house and found various animals that appeared to be neglected. Varone said eight cats, two dogs and two birds were removed from the home.
Animal Control Officer Donna Duso said one of the cats was found dead in the home. She said the animals were in various stages of dehydration and covered in fleas. The air in the house was filled with ammonia, making it difficult for the animals to breathe, she added.
Duso said the elderly woman, who is living in a nursing home, owns the animals. Duso said she is working on getting custody of the animals so that she can get them ready for adoption.
The Groton Animal Foundation paid for the animals vet bills, and they are doing much better, Duso said.
Two of the cats are Persians, one is an orange tiger cat and the four other cats were kept in a cage and are being socialized, Duso said.
The dogs are a Shetland-Dachshund mix and a small white terrier mix.
The two birds — an umbrella Cockatoo and a sun conure — are being rehabilitated at the Waterford Country School.
The investigation into the animal case is ongoing, Varone said.
Swainson is out on bond, and is scheduled to appear in New London Superior Court on Sept. 19.
(TheDay.com - Sept 9, 2014)
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