Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Rita Kittower had no choice but to put her husband of nearly 50 years into an assisted living facility after he suffered a major stroke that diminished his memory and left him unable to care for himself. Mrs. Kittower paid $75,000 a year to the upscale Silverado Senior Living facility in Calabasas, Calif., to provide her husband Elmore with the best possible care, according to the Los Angeles Times.

When he died, staff told her Mr. Kittower died peacefully in his sleep.

But when Mrs. Kittower received a call the day after burying her husband from an employee at Silverado, she was devastated. The caller said that shortly before Kittower died she saw a fellow employee punch Kittower’s husband’s face and wrap a towel around his head as if to suffocate him.

After an 11-month investigation which included the exhuming of Mr. Kittower’s body, homicide detectives say they have evidence that 20-year-old Cesar Ulloa, who worked in the home, physically assaulted Mr. Kittower in the minutes before and the months prior to his death. Ulloa is being held on $1 million bond and could face charges of elder abuse and torture.

Police also arrested Luis Arrelleano, 21, Juan Soto, 21, and Maria Gomez, 34. The family plans to offer a $10,000 reward for more information about abuse at Silverado.

Silverado officials have not been fully cooperating with the family nor with investigators. Facility officials say that an internal investigation concluded that staff had done nothing improper nor had any connection to Kittower’s death.

Meanwhile, police investigations continue.

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