4 Health Care Workers Arrested For Abuse At Assisted Living Home

PHOENIX — Four medical staff members at an adult assisted living facility in Phoenix have been arrested and charged with abusing a resident and making false reports to the police, the Phoenix Police Department announced.

The four certified medical professionals called police on Aug. 24 to report that a 34-year-old female resident had assaulted them and another resident at a facility on 8800 South 7th Street.

"Officers arrived, and contacted the involved parties and learned there were no injuries or information to corroborate the staff members' allegations," Sgt. Ann Justus, a spokesperson for the Phoenix police, said in a statement. "The facility was equipped with surveillance footage, which could only be accessed by specific employees, none of who were on site at the time."

A director of the facility viewed the footage the next day, which, coupled with an investigation from the Family Investigations Bureau, found that the staff members assaulted the resident and held her down on the floor.

In the video Patch reviewed, the resident is held on the ground for nearly 20 minutes after a health care worker starts an altercation with her. At one point, one of the staff members lies on top of her to hold her down.

Four women were arrested: 55-year-old Stephanie James, 59-year-old Rodina Bailey, 54-year-old Tena Martinez, and 30-year-old Kristen Emerson. All were booked on charges of vulnerable adult abuse and false reporting of a vulnerable adult, but Bailey received two counts of the felony abuse charge. All but Martinez were charged with false reporting to the police.

The Arizona Attorney General's office will take over and review the case moving forward.