Home aide from Warwick allegedly seen on Ring camera abusing disabled Vietnam veteran
The video shows the disabled, non-verbal 80-year-old victim, Doug Powers, being shoved by the aide to the kitchen floor near his wheelchair while the aide is heard yelling, “Stop touching things!”
A private home health aide in Orange County is now facing criminal charges in a disturbing case of elder abuse that was caught on Ring video.
The images were given exclusively to News 12 by the victim’s upset daughter who says the family feels "violated” after at least four incidents of abuse in Bullville that were caught on their home cameras from March to May.
The video shows the disabled, non-verbal 80-year-old victim, Doug Powers, being shoved by the aide to the kitchen floor near his wheelchair while the aide is heard yelling, “Stop touching things!” Other clips seemingly show separate instances of abuse while the victim is being beaten with a broom in his wheelchair, shoved and yelled at or left laying helpless on the ground while struggling or unable to get up.
The victim’s daughter, Tammy Powers Jollie, says they first noticed the videos in May while scrolling through their saved Ring files and immediately notified Town of Crawford police.
“Every video got more disturbing. He calls him an idiot. At one point, he left him on the floor for three hours,” says Powers-Jollie.
The woman says her father, Doug Powers, has advanced dementia and receives 24-hour home care at his residence in Bullville.
“He can’t say, ‘Tammy, I’m hurting. Someone’s hurting me,” Powers-Jollie says.
Crawford police say the aide, 56-year-old Christopher Diccianni, from Warwick, was arrested May 24 and charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.
“He told us he teaches bible school and bible study and is involved in the church. We thought he was a good person,” Powers-Jollie says.
Powers is a Vietnam veteran and a life-long civil servant who worked as a corrections officer in Otisville for more than 30 years.
His daughter says he suffered scratches on his neck due to one incident and has not been himself since the attacks.
“He flinches when I get near his face,” she says.
Diccianni is out on an appearance ticket and is due in Crawford Town Court June 16.
News 12 tried to reach out to the aide at several phone numbers that were found for him but has not heard back.
