Authorities charged Timothy Allen Rockholt Jr., 20, of 445 Pendleton St. with possession of marijuana, second offense, and elder abuse, said Lt. Jerry Waldrop of the Rock Hill Police Department.

Mildred Ledbetter, 78, of the same address did not require medical attention, Waldrop said.

Rockholt had been living in the Pendleton Street house for nearly a year, Waldrop said. On Wednesday, visiting family members discovered the abuse that had been occurring for a year, he said.

“He was forcing her to write checks, pay out money to him,” said Waldrop, who could not say how many checks Ledbetter had written to Rockholt.

“She had a black eye,” Waldrop added. “The injuries were severe on her arms, legs and face. It was disturbing.”

Judge Dolores Williams set bond at $21,000 today during a bond hearing at the Rock Hill Municipal Court.

A handcuffed Rockholt stood across the room dressed in white shorts, a white T-shirts and white socks.

The warrant said that Rockholt used physical force and intimidation to stay in the house and get money, Williams read. “The victim is scared of the defendant,” she said.

If convicted, Rockholt could face up to a five-year sentence for the elder abuse charge, Williams said.

For more details, read Friday’s Herald.