Police responded to a 911 call in a north Houston neighborhood and found four men ranging from the ages from 54, 65, 74 to 79 years-old being held in “deplorable conditions” behind a door that had been nailed shut. Sgt. Steven Murdock told the Associated Press that at least one of the men was a military veteran and that they were living in conditions that were like a “dungeon.”
According to a report in the Houston Chronicle, Murdock said the men had told investigators that their Social Security checks were taken away from them.
“One of the men seemed to think he was picked up off the street and brought to the address,” Houston Sgt. J.W. McCoy had told KTRK television. One of the men said, “He was given a place to stay, beer and cigarettes in exchange for turning over his Social Security check.”
There were three women, a grandmother, mother and daughter and a man living in the house, according to the station reports and one person was taken into custody.
According to KTRK, one of the victims had been in the house for about 10 years; and three of the men were physically unable to walk and were transported to LBJ Hospital. There was a man who said, “I’ve lived at the house for about six months and I have no desire to leave, and continuing, “Living conditions” are “not” good.”
Associated Press reported that neighbors said they had seen the men sitting outside on occasions. A neighbor, Virginia Rogers, said she greeted them with a wave as she drove by; and saying, “I’m shocked and baffled because I didn’t have a clue.”
In my opinion this is a case of entrapment of a person who is not capable of speaking or taking care of themselves while others prey on their handicap to get their Social Security checks; and they’re forced to live in a barred filthy dungeon and they must abide by whatever is dished out to them without anyone to help them…this is pure torture of a helpless person.
In my opinion it’s hard to tell how many people are living in helpless conditions like this throughout the world and society needs to try to put a stop to it. There needs to be a system set-up whereas anyone cashing several Social Security checks for other people the bank is required to obtain the person’s name and address and to send a report to Social Security to investigate the situation. Many of these people are helpless military veterans and it’s sad to realize our military men must live in these type conditions because they’re unable to make their own decisions.
Barbara Kasey Smith wrote this article based on an AARP.org report.
Source:
AARP.org based on an Associated Press report