California: Police find abused 80-year-old woman, dogs in house

CALIFORNIA -- An 80-year-old woman was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning after police found her in a house with heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, dog feces and not enough food, police said.

Officers from the Palm Springs Police Department and Coachella Valley Narcotics Task Force served a drug sales-related search warrant at a house on the 4300 block of East Mesquite Avenue around 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Inside, they seized heroin, meth, marijuana and narcotics paraphernalia.

 

 

They also found the elderly woman, who owned the home, living in "conditions that could cause great bodily harm or death," according to the police department. The power didn't work in most of the house, there wasn't enough food and the woman had medical issues, police said.

Plus, they found dog feces throughout the house.

Police arrested the woman's son, Scott Richard Fowler, 59, and her granddaughter, Terri Rae Fowler, 32, on suspicion of elder abuse. 

Riverside County Adult Protective Services transported her to a local hospital, where she is in stable condition.

Palm Springs Animal Control transported seven dogs to a local animal shelter. Police said felony animal cruelty violations remain under consideration, pending reports from veterinarians.

Police arrested:

• Martin Martinez Perez, a 31-year-old transient, on suspicion of possession of narcotics paraphernalia and a probation violation
• Melissa Campos, 26, of Palm Springs, on misdemeanor bench warrants for possession of a controlled substance and possession of narcotics paraphernalia
• Roy Richard Hoffman, 46, of Cathedral City, on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance
• Benjamin Anthony Salgado, 26, of Palm Springs, on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance.

 

  

All six suspects were transported to the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

(Desert Sun - Nov 19, 2015)