By: Richard L. Smith
A disturbing incident in Wayne has led to the arrest of a home health aide after video footage revealed she allegedly shoved an elderly woman under her care, police said.
According to a statement released by Wayne Police, officers were called to a local residence on the night of September 21 after two sisters reported that their mother had been assaulted.
The aide had initially phoned the sisters, claiming their mother had fallen.
But when they reviewed footage from a home camera, they said it showed the aide pushing their mother backwards with force, causing her to fall into her bed and hit her head against the wall.
The woman screamed in pain during the incident.
Officers and the sisters found the elderly woman asleep when they entered the home.
She awoke in pain when her head was examined, and her daughters pointed out visible bruising. She was later transported to a hospital for treatment.
Police identified the aide as Helen Pitman, 64, of Mount Vernon, New York.
She was arrested and charged with assault on an elderly person, endangering the welfare of an incompetent person, and neglect of the elderly.
Pitman was released on a complaint summons under New Jersey’s Bail Reform Guidelines.
The case remains under investigation.