Son Refused Medical Access to Home, Found Covered in Sores and Maggots
SPRING HILL, Fla. – A Spring Hill man faces serious charges after his 79-year-old mother was found in horrific condition and later died. Jason Thomas Russell, 47, was arrested Thursday on charges of neglect of an elderly person causing great bodily harm and resisting an officer without violence. The arrest follows a 911 call Russell made on September 18 after his mother became unresponsive.
According to reports, when first responders from Hernando County Fire Rescue arrived at the home on Boyce Street, Russell had placed his mother in a wheelchair in the driveway.
He refused to let medical personnel into the home to check her medications. She was transported to a hospital where doctors discovered she was severely malnourished, septic from multiple infections, and suffering from pneumonia and a urinary tract infection. Her skin was reportedly “rotting from infection,” and she was found with open sores and infested with maggots.
The woman passed away two days later, on September 20. Detectives are now working with the Medical Examiner’s Office and the State Attorney’s Office to determine if the charges against Russell will be upgraded.
During the initial investigation, deputies declared the home a crime scene. Russell was arrested for resisting an officer after he ignored instructions to stay outside and entered the active scene. Upon entering the home, deputies described a strong ammonia odor and found two heavily soiled couches covered in ants and flies. Soiled women’s clothing and a commode were also found in the living room.
Russell, identified as his mother’s primary caregiver, told investigators he would clean his mother by either dipping her in a pool or wiping her with a cloth. He is currently being held without bond at the Hernando County Detention Center, in part because the offense is domestic and he was already out on bond for a prior DUI.
READ: Spring Hill Man Faces 17 Felony Charges In Child Crimes Case
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