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OSCEOLA COUNTY, Florida (WESH) — Marie Carenan and Ronald Pack, a couple accused of running 11 unlicensed living facilities across Polk and Osceola counties under the name “Cherish Home Care,” and “Cherish Independent Living Care,” appeared in court Thursday.
Witnesses, including two detectives, a caregiver who also lived at the facilities, and a man whose father died while in one of the facility’s care, testified about the conditions and alleged abuse. Detectives said five people have died that had been in the couple’s care, with four deaths occurring since the investigation began last year.
A defense attorney representing Carenan said in closing arguments that the deaths were not the matter the court was dealing with.
“Death certificates note that it’s natural causes. We’re not here for any type of murder investigation your honor,” Lizet Dominguez said.
The facilities reportedly housed 12 to 15 residents in three- to five-bedroom homes. Witnesses described padlocks on doors, windows, pantries, and refrigerators. They also said the homes smelled of urine and feces, and caregivers were not allowed to call 911 directly, instead being required to contact Ronald or Marie first.
One detective testified that a worker tased two residents using a taser provided by Ronald. Mandy Largent, who started as a resident and later became a caregiver, testified that Ronald asked for her bank account and financial information, which she refused to provide. She also alleged there was little food, no toilet paper, and that residents resorted to using socks and underwear to clean themselves after using the bathroom. Largent recounted an incident where a woman experiencing a mental health episode stabbed herself in the head with a needle, and despite the open wound, Marie allegedly denied her medical care.
The prosecution said, “Unlicensed or not, people were abused.”
Text messages between Ronald and Marie were presented in court, including one where Ronald allegedly said he did not want to go to jail. Other messages showed workers informing the couple about the poor conditions, with some messages reportedly going unanswered. The residents were described as elderly, some disabled, and even bedridden.
The prosecution argued that the couple posed a threat to society, while the defense countered that much of the testimony was hearsay and noted that some victims died after leaving the couple’s care. The defense also argued that the state failed to meet the burden of proof, but the judge disagreed, denying bond on two counts.
The couple has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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