Crime & Safety

Catonsville Woman Indicted in Abuse of Disabled Resident

Latia Matthews is charged with abusing and neglecting a vulnerable adult in her care.

A Catonsville woman was indicted for abuse and neglect in the case of a developmentally disabled resident reportedly left in a hot vehicle in July, State Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler announced Friday.

Latia L. Matthews, 23, was indicted on one count each of abuse of a vulnerable adult, neglect of a vulnerable adult and reckless endangerment, Gansler said.

The charges stem from an incident on July 28 at the Westview Mall parking lot in Catonsville. Matthews at the time was employed by Progress Unlimited Inc., an agency that provides residential and medical day care services for adults with developmental disabilities, according to a statement from Gansler’s office.

Find out what's happening in Catonsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Matthews was responsible for supervising a 22-year-old disabled woman and allegedly left her in a locked vehicle with little ventilation while she and a friend went shopping, according to the statement. The temperature that day was in the 80s.

The victim was left in the car for about 20 minutes, said Alan Brody, a spokesman in Gansler's office. She was taken to a hospital for evaluation, but appeared not to have any injuries, he said.

Find out what's happening in Catonsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Each charge is a misdemeanor carrying a potential sentence of five years in jail and a $5,000 fine. Matthews’ arraignment is set for Feb. 5.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.