FORT PIERCE — Two people have been arrested following a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office investigation into what authorities described as a disturbing case of elder abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation.
The investigation began July 16 after a complaint to the Florida Department of Children and Families alleged that the victim was being physically abused and neglected by her caretakers. A second report in October raised additional concerns about the victim’s physical and mental health, the Sheriff’s Office said.
During interviews, the victim told investigators she was denied food, restricted from moving freely inside her home, and forced to use the restroom outdoors. She was also made to shower in a small tent with a garden hose that provided only cold water and no temperature control…