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PD: Caretaker locks wheelchair-bound man out of the house for over two hours

Earl Churchill Wintersmith.jpg
Posted at 10:31 AM, Aug 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-13 01:27:48-04

PHOENIX — A live-in caretaker reportedly assaulted and locked his patient out of the home when it was 105 degrees outside.

Phoenix police report that Sunday afternoon they responded to a home near 19th Avenue and Van Buren Street. There they found a man who uses a wheelchair locked out of a home.

Police say the man's live-in caretaker, Earl Churchill Wintersmith, 49, held the victim down and bit him on the arm. He then allegedly pushed the man outside to the front porch in 105-degree temperatures and locked the door.

According to court records, the man was outside in the sun for about two and a half hours before police arrived. Police say the man, who has a heart condition, was wearing a thick bathrobe, had no water and was "sweating profusely."

Court records show that this is the third incident involving Wintersmith in the past two months.

Wintersmith was arrested for vulnerable adult abuse. His next court appearance is August 26.