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Caregiver Accused Of Giving Patient Alcohol At Party Before His Death

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 24-year-old Inver Grove Heights woman is facing neglect charges after taking a man with muscular dystrophy to a party last August before his death.

Taylor Wellman was charged with neglect of a vulnerable adult resulting in great bodily harm in connection with the Aug. 5, 2017 incident.

According to the charges, the victim, identified only as ML, was two months away from turning 20 years old before his death. He was about 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighed 84 pounds, and because of muscular dystrophy, needed constant care.

The complaint states Wellman relieved another attendant from duty at about 6:15 p.m. on Aug. 5, 2017. She was an hour late for her shift and according to another attendant, ML gave her between $20 and $40 for alcohol that night. Wellman bought 2 six-packs of beer before driving ML to a friend's house in Vermillion Township for a party.

The complaint states when they arrived to the party, Wellman told friends she had been drinking since 3 p.m. and she was "wasted." She invited a friend to the residence that she met online two weeks before, and once the friend arrived, she completely ignored ML. She drank shots at the party.

The complaint states it was the first time anyone at the party had met ML, and Wellman told them he had been cleared to drink beer. ML also had chewing tobacco, and had three shots of vodka.

ML's head went off a headrest and he was turning blue. The complaint states Wellman carried him to the bathroom and tried resuscitation efforts before calling 911. A friend told police he thought the situation was "fu**ed up" and was surprised ML was even there because of his physical limitations.

The complaint states Wellman called ML's mother at about 1:22 p.m. that night and said he had two beers and was unresponsive. He died that night. Authorities say his blood alcohol concentration was .222.

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