Man Charged in Death of 93-Year-Old Mother

A 62-year-old New Britain man accused of neglecting his 93-year-old mother has been arrested in connection with her death.

Police said Frank Simonetti was supposed to be caring for his elderly mother, Michaealina Simonneti, after she broke her hip, but medics who went to check on her found an emaciated woman who had not been bathed regularly, police said.

In April 2014, six months earlier, Michaealina Simonneti went through hip surgery, but she was still not walking, so medics checked on her on Sept. 2 because of failure to thrive.

She complained of pain to her right hip, her lips were dry, she was weak and her pulse was irregular, police said. 

During the visit, Frank Simonetti told police he called 911 and his mother had not been eating well.

When Michaealina Simonneti was admitted to the Hospital for Central Connecticut's New Britain campus she was covered in feces and had 11 pressure ulcers and skin irritation, according to the police report.

Police went to the hospital on Sept. 11 to meet with her, but Michaealina Simonneti could barely speak and hospital staff told authorities she was likely to pass away within days. 

Two weeks later, she was dead, police said.

The office of the chief medical examiner said her death was ruled a homicide and she died of complications of hip fracture, status post non-repair with non-ambulation, and atherosclerotic and hyper-intensive cardiovascular disease.

Police arrested Frank Simonetti at 12:46 p.m. on Wednesday and charged him with first-degree manslaughter. 

Simonetti's sister died in January 2014 and he was investigated but not charged, police said.

The medical examiner also ruled her death as a homicide caused by malnutrition, dehydration, skin ulcers, bed ridden and bronchial pneumonia.

He appeared in court on Thursday afternoon and bond was set at $250,000.

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