Man arrested after elderly woman was neglected for two weeks

TYLER – A man was arrested for injury to an elderly individual on Thursday after an elderly woman was brought into a Longview emergency room with serious injuries, according to a press release.

Smith County Sheriff’s Office deputies started an investigation after an elderly woman in Smith County was brought into a Longview emergency room on Feb. 4, following a hospice referral.

Officials said the woman had been sitting in a chair in her own waste for two weeks, and that her clothing had to be removed from her skin, causing further injury. Our news partner, KETK, reports that he woman has been put under the care of Adult Protective Services, and is being treated for several serious medical conditions resulting from this neglect.

After several interviews, investigators obtained an arrest warrant for a relative of the woman, Alvin Ray Riggs, 53 of Kilgore. The woman reportedly lived with Riggs at a home on County Road 3185 in Smith County.

Riggs was arrested for injury to an elderly individual in Longview on Thursday. He’s being held in the Gregg County Jail on a $2.5 million bond.