MECHANICSBURG, Pa. — A caretaker accused of falling asleep on the clock and neglecting her duties to a woman with Parkinson's disease has been arrested and charged in connection to the victim's death.
Folake Sowami, 44, of Harrisburg, is accused of falling asleep during her shift and allowing Rosinha Pereira, 71, to wander the house alone in the middle of the night. The victim made her way outside and drowned in a hot tub in her backyard.
Detectives say Pereira's daughter had hired 24/7 caretakers for her mother. Part of the overnight employees' job duties are to stay up all night to meet Pereir's needs. Sowami's duties included giving the victim her medication, assisting her with mobility, meal preparations, bathroom use and more.
On Oct. 3, Sowami arrived around 5:55 p.m. to begin her overnight shift, according to a criminal complaint. Pereira allegedly woke the caretaker up around midnight to use the bathroom, but said Sowami could stay in the bedroom. Sowami claims she sat in a chair by the bedroom door where she could watch the bathroom door and never saw Pereira exit the bathroom. The caretaker also said she checked on Pereira when she thought the woman had been in the bathroom for about an hour, and Pereira answered her, according to a criminal complaint.
Surveillance video from the house allegedly shows Pereira leave the home and enter the courtyard around 12:38 a.m. on Oct. 4. She walks around for nearly an hour before kneeling beside the in-ground hot tub at 1:27 a.m., according to an affidavit of probable cause. At 1:46 a.m., Pereira collapsed, and her face submerged in the water. She fell into the hot tub two minutes later, allegedly not moving. At 3:33 a.m., Sowami exited the house and found Pereira almost immediately. The caretaker then performed CPR on the victim.
Sowami allegedly told police that she began looking around the house for Pereira when she did not return from the bathroom. When officers questioned Sowami about whether she had fallen asleep at the house, she allegedly repeatedly stated that she was not supposed to sleep during her shift and had maybe dozed off.
Police say Sowami appeared confused about the timeline of the evening. She also told police that she had come to take care of Pereira overnight after working her regular 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. shift at another job.
Sowami is charged with neglect of care-dependent person, involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person.
