Police: Elderly Deer Park Woman Neglected By Son

A Brooklyn man was arrested and charged with allegedly neglecting to provide proper care for his 95-year old mother who suffers with Alzheimer’s disease and lives in Deer Park, Suffolk County Police said.

Joseph Coppa, 57, was charged with Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Disabled person, according to police. He was scheduled for arraignment on Thursday in First District Court in Central Islip.

Police said that on March 12 Suffolk County Adult Protective Services (APS) was notified by Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center that a woman living on West 5th Street was doing so in unsanitary conditions and that her house was condemned by the County Fire Marshal.

Hospital staff and APS told Coppa that his mother should not be left alone because of her health condition. Police said he signed an agreement that he had 24-hour care in place and refused to place her in a nursing home.

On April 16, police said, the woman was found wandering near her home and was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital. Coppa requested that his mother be released into his care and was again advised she would need 24-hour care. He told hospital staff and APS that he hired an around-the-clock home health care aide, law enforcement officials said.

Tuesday, APS officials found the woman at home without supervision and she was again taken to Good Samaritan. Police said they have determined that Coppa never hired a home health care aide.