In a harrowing instance of abuse that highlights the vulnerability of those dependent on care, two men in the Valley have been taken into custody in separate incidents—involving the sexual assault of an elderly woman and the exploitation of teenagers, respectively. ABC15 reports that a motion-activated camera set up by the family of an elderly woman living in Phoenix's Brookdale Desert Ridge nursing home captured a 57-year-old facility worker, Ernesto Aguilar Barbosa, in the act of sexually assaulting her. As told by the victim's family, the camera served as a silent witness to the unspeakable violation that prompted police intervention on July 26.
According to ABC15, officers responded to the call and arrested Barbosa on-site at the nursing home located near 40th Street and Union Hills Drive. He has been charged with two counts of sexual assault and kidnapping and is currently being held at the Maricopa County Jail.
Further investigations into the nursing home assault revealed sordid details that underscore the despair of the victim. Court documents obtained by AZFamily indicate that once the victim's daughter notified the facility, the care director discovered Barbosa, the only male employee present, who initially claimed to have been simply cleaning garbage out of the room. It was later reportedly found by police that Barbosa was wearing identical attire to the man seen in the photos provided by the family, further corroborating the allegations.
