DENVER — A man was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of neglecting an elderly woman in his care, causing serious bodily harm, and stealing her inheritance, the Denver District Attorney's Office said Thursday.
Karl A. Sanchez, 52, who had the victim's power of attorney, stole her inheritance after she received it in 2021 and had a document claiming to gift him her home, according to the District Attorney's Office.
According to the arrest affidavit, the victim was taken to the hospital Dec. 25, 2021. A doctor reported to police that she was extremely thin from malnutrition and had bruises that were suspicious of abuse.
>Video above from Oct. 2022: Denver Police warn against scam targeted against elderly.
The caretaker who took the victim to the hospital told police they first met just a week earlier on Dec. 18. She reported Sanchez did not like giving the victim baths, and he claimed she was intentionally soiling herself and wetting the bed on purpose.
The witness reported the house was clean except for the victim's room, which had an overpowering smell of urine and defecation coming from the bed. The floor below was also full of crusted waste, the affidavit said.
After giving the victim a bath, the witness said she discovered a large bruise on her right arm near her elbow that looked like a handprint.
At one point after the witness took the victim to the hospital, Sanchez became angry and sent the witness texts saying the doctors "had killed" the victim, according to the affidavit.
"He said he wanted the names of the doctors and nurses and would be going to the hospital to take care of business," the affidavit reads. "Karl said that he had 250 rounds and would take as many with him as possible."
The witness also reported that Sanchez had at least one gun that he kept on his desk next to meth pipes he smoked, and he did not have a job, the affidavit says.
Sanchez was convicted by a jury in February of the following charges:
- Neglect resulting in serious bodily injury to an at-risk individual
- Theft from an at-risk person
- Offering a false instrument
- Committing a violent crime causing serious bodily injury to an elder (sentence enhancer)
Sanchez was sentenced to four years each for the neglect and theft charges, and one year for the false instrument charge. All sentences will be served concurrently.
Sanchez was also sentenced to three years' parole.
“A good Samaritan recognized the deplorable and heartbreaking condition in which this victim was living and got her the medical help she needed to survive another day," said Denver District Attorney Beth McCann. "This good Samaritan is the hero of this story and because of her actions, justice was served.”
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