Left: Praise Gahn. Right: Zarkpa Green (Polk County Sheriff’s Office).
Two Iowa therapy workers are facing criminal charges after authorities say they confined adults with special needs in a basement and withheld their prescribed medications.
Praise Gahn, 22, and Zarkpa Green, 44, allegedly used a metal bar to barricade the adults inside the basement of a Polk County home run by the local nonprofit Balance Autism, according to a criminal complaint obtained by local NBC affiliate WHO and local CBS affiliate KCCI.
Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show both women were booked into the Polk County Jail last week. Each is charged with dependent adult abuse — a serious misdemeanor — and wanton neglect of a dependent adult, also a serious misdemeanor.
Investigators say Gahn and Green were responsible for caring for the victims from March through May, the period during which the alleged abuse took place. The complaint accuses them of repeatedly mishandling the adults’ medication, refusing to administer prescribed doses, and locking the individuals in the basement.
Balance Autism, the organization that employed the pair, describes itself online as a “leading autism service organization” focused on providing “a balance of innovative therapy and passionate care,” according to its website.
“We develop and implement innovative solutions to engage people with autism,” the nonprofit says on its website. “We strive to balance science with imagination, evidence with creativity, and research with compassion to teach people with autism.”
In outlining its care model, Balance Autism says, “From Admission to Transition, we empower the individual with the support they need to achieve real-world goals. Along the way, we tailor our approach to meet their needs, bringing together compassionate people, creative solutions and scientifically proven methods to make a lasting impact. It’s how we find balance for life.”
The Altoona Police Department was alerted and an investigation led to an internal audit of the medications, which allegedly showed multiple errors, including medications not being dispensed at all by Gahn and Green.
Gahn admitted during an interview that she had not given medication to the victims, police told WHO.
Gahn’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 19, while Green has a preliminary hearing set for Aug. 21.
Balance Autism could not be reached for comment Sunday.
The post People with special needs trapped and locked away in basement, therapy workers barricaded door with metal bar and refused to give them medication: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.
