A Texas woman was arrested in Tennessee last week and charged with various counts, including aggravated neglect of an elderly or vulnerable adult and neglect of a vulnerable adult, after leaving a vulnerable adult alone in a bus she was driving between Texas and Virginia. According to Tennessee investigators, the woman spent the night in hotels after leaving the unidentified vulnerable adults.
The investigation began last week, when authorities responded to a medical emergency at a location in Tennessee. There, they found a yellow bus pulling a trailer with three live animals (goats). Inside the bus were five persons with intellectual disabilities and one with dementia.
The passengers were living in deplorable conditions, without running water or food, wearing filthy clothes, and exhibiting indications of malnutrition. One passenger had suffered a major injury the day before but had not received medical assistance. All six people were taken to a hospital, where one eventually died.
Bernice, a 61-year-old woman from Texas who was identified as the caretaker, told Tennessee officials that she had been staying in hotels overnight, leaving the vulnerable adults alone on the bus. The bus lacked basic essentials, and the passengers were discovered in an environment described as “uninhabitable and inhumane.”
Following her arrest, she was first held on an $80,000 bond, which was later raised to $250,000.
According to court documents, the elderly woman has prior experience in caring, having co-owned a firm with her ex-husband that provided care for mentally and physically challenged people.
This episode has highlighted major questions regarding the governance and regulation of caregivers working with vulnerable populations. Tennessee authorities are still investigating the circumstances of the tragedy. ​
