New Mexico Department of Justice Takes Action Against Assisted Living Abuse

The New Mexico Department of Justice’s Medicaid Fraud and Elder Abuse Division has filed charges against four individuals accused of abusing residents at assisted living facilities.

The accused are Salomon Sanchez, Lee Carrizales, Linda Romero, and Edwars D. Bonilla-Aguinada, who face charges of Abuse of a Resident. If convicted, they could face up to six months in prison per count.

According to a New Mexico DOJ spokesperson, Salomon Sanchez, an employee at Community Options, Inc., a Developmental Disabilities Waiver group home in Santa Fe, was caught on video forcibly grabbing a resident, shoving the individual’s face toward a table, and refusing assistance while making degrading remarks.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez emphasized that these arrests send a “clear message” that the state will not tolerate abuse of vulnerable individuals.

Lee Carrizales, an employee at Pacifica Senior Living Facility, is charged with two counts of Abuse of a Resident after verbally assaulting two facility members. Videos of the incidents were shared on Facebook and brought to the attention of the New Mexico Department of Health.

Linda Romero is accused of physically striking a developmentally disabled person multiple times in front of witnesses.

Edwars D. Bonilla-Aguinada, an employee at Morningstar of Rio Rancho Assisted Living Facility, allegedly forced an 89-year-old resident with Alzheimer’s to undergo a painful diaper change after an accident, disregarding the resident’s comfort and condition.

These charges highlight the ongoing efforts by New Mexico authorities to protect vulnerable residents in care facilities and hold accountable those responsible for their mistreatment.

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