Partially paralyzed woman dies in filthy conditions, SC cops say. Caregivers arrested
A South Carolina couple has been arrested months after a woman died in their care, according to South Carolina deputies.
Nicholas Navarre Perez and Jessica Lynn Perez turned themselves in to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office after facing neglect charges, according to a Jan. 9 sheriff’s office’s news release. The charges come after the October death of 33-year-old Christian Lewis, a woman with partial paralysis.
Officers arrived to the Simpsonville home Oct. 27 after they were informed that the woman was going into cardiac arrest, deputies said. The Perezes, who aren’t related to Lewis, were her caregivers, the sheriff’s office said.
Lewis’ cause of death was from sepsis, according to a Greenville County Coroner’s Office news release. Her infection stemmed from illnesses she contracted while in the Perezes’ care, including bronchopneumonia, which impacts the lungs, and pyelonephritis, which inflames the kidneys, officials said.
Her manner of death was determined to be a homicide, the coroner’s office said.
The infection was caused by medical neglect from the couple, deputies said. She was not provided with “necessary care” and lived in “unsanitary” conditions, according to the sheriff’s office.
The pair were waiting to schedule a bond hearing for their charges as of Jan. 9, according to the sheriff’s office.
Simpsonville is about 15 miles southeast of Greenville.
This story was originally published January 10, 2024 at 1:52 PM with the headline "Partially paralyzed woman dies in filthy conditions, SC cops say. Caregivers arrested."
