In another stunning twist to an already heartbreaking case of elder abuse, the former Department of Economic Security employee, fired after an ABC15 investigation, has filed to get her job back.
ABC15 obtained the letter Carol Brown wrote to the Arizona State Personnel Board, explaining why her 86-year-old mother-in-law was pleading for help and kept padlocked in her Mesa home last month.
Brown explains her husband, the victim's son, was tired of caring for his elderly mother and needed a break.
Brown and her husband hired a caregiver, but there was a falling out and disagreement over the elderly woman's living conditions.
Brown goes on to say her husband told her to put the padlock on the home, in an effort to secure the home and protect her husband's expensive tools.
Brown's bedridden mother-in-law was found in filthy conditions, living in her own waste.
Brown ends her letter pleading to get her job back, and if that is not possible, asks that her pension not be damaged or her health benefits cut.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says it is reviewing the case and deciding whether to pursue charges.
A tentative hearing for April 8 has been set to hear Brown's appeal to get her job back.
