GRAND RAPIDS TWP., Mich. - Two women have been charged with felonies after an 85-year-old woman died after leaving an assisted living facility in October.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette announced the charges Wednesday against Yahira Zamora, 21, of Wyoming, and Denise Filcek, 45, of Wayland. Zamora and Filcek were working the night of October 26, 2016 when Kathryn Brackett left the facility and was found the next morning, dead from exposure to near-freezing temperatures and rain.
Both women were arraigned Thursday morning in 63rd District Court. They each face up to four years in prison if convicted.
Schuette says that Zamora has been charged with 2nd-degree vulnerable adult abuse. He says that Zamora allegedly reset an alarmed door without determining if any residents had left the facility. Filcek is charged with one count of intentional inclusion of misleading or inaccurate information in a medical chart. Schuette alleges that Filcek was responsible for visual bed checks on all patients every thirty minutes, including Brackett's room. Schuette alleges that Filcek indicated on charts that patients were checked, even though they weren't.
Thursday, the Executive Director of Crystal Springs, Kathy Higgins released this statement:
"This matter is now in active litigation. As such, it would be inappropriate for Crystal Springs to provide any comments regarding this ongoing matter or the recent actions taken by the Michigan Attorney General. At Crystal Springs the safety and security of our residents is our first and most important priority."
Brackett's family talked with FOX 17 Wednesday night about the charges. You can watch that interview below or read about it here.
