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OGDEN — A man who was supposed to be taking care of a vulnerable adult in a group home allegedly admitted to abusing a resident there.
Spencer Keith Mendenhall, 19, of Ogden, was charged Thursday in 2nd District Court with aggravated abuse of a vulnerable adult, a second-degree felony; and abuse of a vulnerable adult, a class A misdemeanor.
According to charging documents, Mendenhall, who works for Chrysalis Group Home, recently admitted to his therapist that he had been hurting one of the residents.
“Spencer admitted to tripping the resident, pinching his nose, hitting him in the stomach and slamming his patient’s head to the ground,” the charges state.
When questioned by police, Mendenhall “stated that he would let the victim fall and he would grab the victim’s forehead and slam it on the floor. He said that he did that about five times,” the charges state.
The victim, who is nonverbal, has cerebral palsy, cognitive problems and personality disorder, was recently removed from the group home and taken to Ogden Regional Medical Center to be treated for a brain bleed, according to the charges.
“When asked if he thought that the victim’s brain bleed may have been caused by his head being slammed to the floor, Spencer replied that it may have,” the charges state.
“Spencer stated that the abuse went on for one to two months. He advised that he got set off from the victim clapping his hands and making finger gestures like a 1-year-old,” the document states. “Spencer also admitted to pinching the victim’s nose in order to cause a nose bleed.”
