Blind man found living in deplorable conditions, brother in custody
FRANKFORD -- A caretaker has been taken in for questioning after police found his blind brother living in deplorable conditions in a trailer in Philadelphia's Frankford section.
Police were called to the 4700-block of James Street around 8 p.m. Monday.
Arriving officers discovered the 66-year-old man in the back of a trailer behind the property.
Authorities say the inside of the trailer was filled with dirt, bugs, and feces.
The stench emanating from the trailer was apparently so bad that at least one responding officer felt sick and had to go back outside.
"I can't even open my windows, that's how bad the smell is," said Dottie Robinson, a neighbor.
Another neighbor told Action News the 74-year-old caretaker, identified as Richard Morten, would leave during the day, sometimes telling others to feed his brother while he was away.
"He had me feeding his brother daily. I would go in there until finally I couldn't take it anymore. The smell was bad. I couldn't even go back anymore," the neighbor said.
He said he wouldn't want anyone to go inside.
"I don't want to take you in and show you because it'll haunt you," the neighbor said.
The 66-year-old man was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Richard Morten was taken into custody. Formal charges have yet to be filed as authorities work to determine possible motive.
"Possibly, it could be related to his being afforded the social security or other type of government payments, maybe that's a motive, but we're still looking into it," Philadelphia Police Captain Sekou Kinebrew said.
