Bemidji Mother Charged With Neglect Of Her Special Needs Child
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Beltrami County prosecutors have charged a Bemidji mother with neglect.
Karen Maire Gannetta, 47, faces one count of criminal neglect after detectives found her special needs adult child unresponsive and malnourished inside their Hillcrest Manor home.
According to the criminal complaint, a detective with the Bemidji Police Department responded to the residence just after noon on Oct. 2. Upon entering the home, the detective was met with a "significant amount of trash and animal urine and feces on the floor," the complaint said.
Inside the vulnerable adult's room, the detective observed dirty conditions, including vomit on the floor. Authorities say Gannetta attempted to wake her child but they would not respond, the complaint said. That's when the detective called for an ambulance.
When EMS arrived, they first questioned whether the vulnerable adult was alive, before eventually detecting breathing, the complaint said.
At the hospital, the physician noted bruising on "essentially every part of the vulnerable adult's body." When Gannetta was asked about the bruises she told investigators that her child received them from crawling.
The physician also noted that the vulnerable adult was malnourished and severely dehydrated.
A social services forensic assessment was also conducted. The FACNM practitioner confirmed the observations of the initial physician and also noted the presence of pressure ulcers and lethargy. During the assessment, the vulnerable adult disclosed that Gannetta hits them, has made them crawl to the restroom and denies access to family members.
If convicted, Gannetta could face 10 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
