Costa Mesa Police: Hidden Camera Captured 91-Year-Old Bedridden Woman Being Hit 150 Times In 4 Days; Caregiver Arrested
COSTA MESA (CBSLA) — A Fullerton woman has been arrested on suspicion of elder abuse after police say she was caught on video hitting her 91-year-old charge.
Rima Abikaram, 50, was arrested Tuesday at her home. She was hired in 2015 as one of two caregivers to provide 24-hour care for a 91-year-old Costa Mesa woman who is confined to a medical bed, according to police.
The second caregiver became concerned recently when she noticed her charge had visible injuries and reported her concerns to her family. So the family installed a hidden camera, which police say recorded Abikaram abusing and hitting the bed-ridden woman.
Abikaram was fired on Aug. 18, and the victim's family called police to report the elder abuse. Investigators reviewing the footage found that over a four-day period, Abikaram hit her charge more than 150 times. A medical check of the woman found several injuries, including swelling to her face, a black eye and a cut to her arm.
The case has been submitted to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
