Caregiver Faces Elder Abuse Charges After Patient Found Mummified
Lori Diane Fiorentino's lawyer says she had no authority to make her patient accept care.
Santa Rosa Press Democrat:
Ex-Fort Bragg Caregiver To Be Tried For Elder Abuse In ‘Mummy’ Case
A former caregiver arrested after the mummified remains of her client were found hidden among piles of debris in a senior housing apartment they shared has been ordered to stand trial for elder abuse. Lori Diane Fiorentino, 56, is charged in connection with the death of Arlene Potts, 66, at the Duncan Place apartment complex in Fort Bragg, where Potts’ emaciated, decaying body was found clad in nothing but layers of feces-laden diapers on Dec. 14, according to testimony by Fort Bragg Police Officer Joseph Breyer. Fiorentino faces a maximum of four years in jail if convicted of the charge at trial. An autopsy found severe muscle atrophy, emaciation and ulcerated lesions on Potts’ body, but was inconclusive on cause of death, limiting the charging opportunities, said Deputy District Attorney Kevin Davenport. (Anderson, 1/30)
In other news from across the state —
KPBS Public Media:
San Diego City Council Considers Ban On Marijuana 'Supply Chain'
San Diego would allow recreational marijuana sales, but would prohibit commercial cultivation of the plant and testing for its safety and potency, under a proposal that goes before the City Council on Tuesday. City staffers are recommending San Diego apply mostly the same regulations to recreational marijuana shops as currently exist for medical marijuana consumer cooperatives. The practical effect would be that the city's licensed medical marijuana dispensaries could begin selling their products to people 21 and older who don't have a doctor's recommendation. (Bowen, 1/30)