(Dacula, Georgia)  On November 28^th, at approximately 10:00am, officers assigned to the East Precinct were dispatched to the report of a elderly female walking and wandering around within the area of 1162 Paiute Court in Dacula.  The caller told the 911 call-taker that the elderly female was living in deplorable conditions and had a house full of dogs.  The dogs were constantly getting out of the house and running up and down the street.

When officers arrived at the home, they spoke with the elderly female (age 76).  The officers learned that she was living in the home with her adult son, John Soper (age 52).  The Soper's home was described as being littered in filth, feces, urine, and other trash.  The victim is often left to fend for herself and has no assistance.  A few neighbors had tried assisting in cleaning the residence, but had to leave after a few minutes due to the smell and the mess.

According to the initial incident report, responding officers were immediately overwhelmed with the smell and odor of feces, urine, trash, and filth.  The victim told the officers that her son often leaves her unattended at the residence during the day while he goes to work.

After observing the depolorable conditions within the residence, the officers contacted the Special Victims Unit for assistance.  The detectives secured a search warrant for the home.  While executing the warrant, officers and the Crime Scene Unit documented the scene and found about 25 medium to small dogs in the house.  The dogs were removed from the residence by Animal Control Officers.  

The victim was treated by the Gwinnett County Fire Department and subsequently transported to the Gwinnett Medical Center for further evaluation.  John Soper was eventually charged with Cruelty to a person who is 65 years or older.  He has since bonded out of jail.  Additional charges may be forthcoming.  (Please contact the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office regarding booking information.)

The victim was ultimately was taken to a personal care home in Barrow County.  Adult Protective Services has been notified and will hopefully be able to help her with finding a permanent placement. 

In situations such as this, the Gwinnett County Police Department utilizes the TERF system to find victims placement.  TERF stands for Temporary Emergency Respite Fund.

According to the State of Georgia Division of Aging Services website (http://aging.dhs.georgia.gov/adult-protective-services), “Elder abuse is an under-recognized, undetected and underreported problem with devastating and life-threateningconsequences. Report ALL suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation TODAY. Be the voice for those who are suffering silently!”  We encourage any person to report suspected elder abuse.  It’s our job to help those who are vulnerable and who need us the most.    

(See additional Media Release regarding the dogs.)

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