Care worker charged in beating of 82-year-old patient that turned deadly

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen says his office is investigating a suspicious death that happened in January.

Bowen said the victim, Harry Millard, 82, was a resident at Barclay Senior Living in the 200 block of Frazier Court, where he suffered injuries in January and later died at a hospital.

On Jan. 29 around 4:05 p.m., deputies responded to Barclay after being notified of a past assault.

Deputies said they were told the management staff learned of an assault incident between a nursing assistant and a resident/patient that occurred on Jan. 5.

Curtis Nekia Hightower, 28, was arrested on Sunday and charged with exploitation of an elderly or disabled person and aggravated battery, according to jail records.

Deputies said management was initially told the injuries were due to a fall and that Millard was transported to Piedmont Hospital for treatment. Millard was pronounced dead at the hospital on Jan. 17, according to Bowen.

After learning of Millard’s death, management staff reviewed video footage and saw an assault in which nursing assistant Hightower “struck Millard with a hand or fist, apparently causing Millard to fall just outside of room #314,” deputies wrote.

According to arrest warrants, Hightower “did strike said victim with a closed fist, causing said victim to fall to the ground, where the victim’s head bounced off the floor resulting in said victim losing consciousness.”

As a result of Hightower’s actions, arrest warrants state Millard sustained an Intraparenchymal hemorrhage.

Deputies said they were told Hightower is no longer working at the facility and he was a “temp who was hired or placed through a contracted staffing agency, Consolidated Medical Staffing.”

The investigation is ongoing and we have reached out for more information.

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