Elder Abuse on the Streets of Oxnard

Friday, April 12, 2019 by The Law Offices of J. Jeffrey Herman

Oxnard residents were on high alert recently when reports surfaced of a man randomly attacking senior citizens on city streets. Fortunately, the senior citizens survived the attacks, but as Oxnard elder abuse attorneys know, senior citizens are much more vulnerable when it comes to injuries and abuse than younger, healthy adults.

Random attacks on Oxnard senior citizens

Two Oxnard senior citizens were assaulted in these random attacks by the same man in one day. The first incident happened near Sixth and B streets when a man punched a 71-year-old woman then pushed her to the ground and kicked her in her back. Not long after the first assault, the attacker punched an unrelated 80 year old man in the face near Sixth and A streets before walking away. The attacker then subsequently came back and punched the elderly victim again.

Arrest made following the attacks

Local security officers were able to subdue the attacker with pepper spray and detain him until the police arrived to arrest him. The 56-year-old attacker named, 80-year-old, was found to have a history of violence and robbery. At the time of the attacks, he was out on parole. Police arrested Barcenas on suspicion of elder abuse and battery offenses. While these criminal charges may help to punish the offender, they do not help to compensate the elderly victims.

Common types of elder abuse cases

The above-mentioned incidents are certainly alarming, but those are not typical cases of elder abuse. The most common types of elder abuse occur when elders are mistreated in nursing homes, by other caregivers, or by family members who take advantage of their mental and physical vulnerabilities. Common types of elder abuse include the following:

• Sexual abuse including sexual assault and sexual exploitation.
• Verbal and emotional abuse including harassment, threats, and insults.
• Physical abuse such as assault or physical restraints.
• Financial abuse including theft, fraud, and forgery.
• Neglect such as malnourishment, dehydration, unsanitary conditions, or otherwise denying basic needs and rights.
• Isolation such as keeping an elder alone and confined to a bed or a room.
• Failure to seek or provide adequate and necessary medical care.
• Failure to provide necessary protections to keep seniors from suffering injuries such as repeated falls or wandering alone outside of nursing home facilities.

Trusting caregivers for elderly loved ones

Much like children, as physical and mental faculties decline with age, the elderly may become partially or completely dependent on others for care. Family members are often unable to provide around the clock care for elders making it necessary to find in-home caregivers or nursing home facilities for their loved ones. Finding out that someone is taking advantage of an elderly loved one can be devastating for family members and unfortunately, sometimes elder abuse can go on for significant amounts of time before it is discovered.

If you know or suspect that your loved one has suffered elder abuse, contact an Oxnard elder abuse attorney at The Law Offices of J. Jeffrey Herman to schedule a consultation.