03-06-2008, 11:14 PM
Daughter left injured mom, 94, on floor for weeks
The Sarasota woman died at the hospital, and her daughter has been arrestedBy Latisha R. Gray
Published Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
SARASOTA — Helen Frizzell, 94, fell and was injured inside her School Avenue home, then lay in virtually the same spot for more than two weeks after no one in the house called for help.
Her 65-year-old daughter, Carole, told police that her mother was too heavy and she could not move her. Carole Frizzell told detectives that her mother was also adamant that nobody call 911.
So Helen Frizzell sat there, in a back room, while Carole brought her food and cleaned up around her.
When they went to the home in November, police found a mop bucket that Carole Frizzell used to clean her mother's waste, as well as several empty cans of Bug-B-Gone that she had used to kill insects swarming around the injured woman, police reports say.
Carole Frizzell was arrested Wednesday on a felony charge of neglect of the elderly. Her mother died several hours after authorities took her to Sarasota Memorial Hospital on Nov. 23.
It was a car salesman who called 911 to report that the elder Frizzell was ill.
Steve Forshaw, who owns a local car dealership, said Carole Frizzell had called him about buying a car with $15,000 in cash.
When negotiations dragged on, she made a scene in the showroom, screaming that she needed to go home and take care of her mother.
The next day, Forshaw offered her a ride to the dealership because she did not have a car. She looked as if she had not showered in days, and during the drive she told Forshaw that her mother was dying, he said.
Forshaw turned the car around and headed back to the house on School Avenue. He said Frizzell panicked when he asked about calling 911.
But he called 911 anyway, telling her he was calling "for help."
They drove back to the house and Frizzell invited him inside, where he saw her mother.
"She was lying on the floor collapsed over," Forshaw said. "She looked like a mannequin in the corner. I said 'is she OK, is she alive?' She poked her and yelled 'Mom' and she groaned."
Neighbors said the two women kept to themselves and rarely had visitors.
Carol Forrest, who lives in the neighborhood, said Helen Frizzell was strong-willed, and that if she told her daughter not to call 911, Carole Frizzell would have listened.
Forrest said people in the neighborhood were puzzled by the Frizzells, who never turned on their air conditioner.
"It's just a sad thing," Forrest said. "They were living in poverty, yet we were told they had a lot of money."
Police say the delay of more than three months between Helen Frizzell's death and the daughter's arrest was caused by a delay in getting an arrest warrant from the state attorney's office.
Officers did not arrest Carole Frizzell when her mother was taken to the hospital because they were not sure what to charge her with, police spokesman Jay Frank said.
Frizzell posted $50,000 bail and was released Wednesday from the Sarasota County jail.
The Sarasota woman died at the hospital, and her daughter has been arrestedBy Latisha R. Gray
Published Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 4:30 a.m.
SARASOTA — Helen Frizzell, 94, fell and was injured inside her School Avenue home, then lay in virtually the same spot for more than two weeks after no one in the house called for help.
Her 65-year-old daughter, Carole, told police that her mother was too heavy and she could not move her. Carole Frizzell told detectives that her mother was also adamant that nobody call 911.
So Helen Frizzell sat there, in a back room, while Carole brought her food and cleaned up around her.
When they went to the home in November, police found a mop bucket that Carole Frizzell used to clean her mother's waste, as well as several empty cans of Bug-B-Gone that she had used to kill insects swarming around the injured woman, police reports say.
Carole Frizzell was arrested Wednesday on a felony charge of neglect of the elderly. Her mother died several hours after authorities took her to Sarasota Memorial Hospital on Nov. 23.
It was a car salesman who called 911 to report that the elder Frizzell was ill.
Steve Forshaw, who owns a local car dealership, said Carole Frizzell had called him about buying a car with $15,000 in cash.
When negotiations dragged on, she made a scene in the showroom, screaming that she needed to go home and take care of her mother.
The next day, Forshaw offered her a ride to the dealership because she did not have a car. She looked as if she had not showered in days, and during the drive she told Forshaw that her mother was dying, he said.
Forshaw turned the car around and headed back to the house on School Avenue. He said Frizzell panicked when he asked about calling 911.
But he called 911 anyway, telling her he was calling "for help."
They drove back to the house and Frizzell invited him inside, where he saw her mother.
"She was lying on the floor collapsed over," Forshaw said. "She looked like a mannequin in the corner. I said 'is she OK, is she alive?' She poked her and yelled 'Mom' and she groaned."
Neighbors said the two women kept to themselves and rarely had visitors.
Carol Forrest, who lives in the neighborhood, said Helen Frizzell was strong-willed, and that if she told her daughter not to call 911, Carole Frizzell would have listened.
Forrest said people in the neighborhood were puzzled by the Frizzells, who never turned on their air conditioner.
"It's just a sad thing," Forrest said. "They were living in poverty, yet we were told they had a lot of money."
Police say the delay of more than three months between Helen Frizzell's death and the daughter's arrest was caused by a delay in getting an arrest warrant from the state attorney's office.
Officers did not arrest Carole Frizzell when her mother was taken to the hospital because they were not sure what to charge her with, police spokesman Jay Frank said.
Frizzell posted $50,000 bail and was released Wednesday from the Sarasota County jail.