FREDERICK, MD – A Frederick County Circuit Court has sentenced Emmanuel Olaeken Owoyeye, 49, to twelve months in the Frederick County Adult Detention Center, with an additional nine years suspended, for 1st Degree Neglect of a Vulnerable Adult. The sentencing took place yesterday, following a bench trial before Judge William R. Nicklas on May 28.
The charges stemmed from an incident on August 4, 2023, where a 55-year-old man with Down Syndrome and dementia was found injured beneath an open third-story window of his apartment complex in Frederick.
The man, who was in the care of Owoyeye, had unsupervised access to his bedroom from where he fell after removing the screen.
Investigations revealed that Owoyeye had not checked on the victim for over three and a half hours while he stayed in another room. This neglect occurred despite specific instructions to keep the victim within sight when awake and to periodically check on him when asleep, due to his history of attempting escapes.
The victim sustained injuries so severe from the fall that he now requires permanent use of a wheelchair and will not be able to live outside a nursing facility. Following his incarceration, Owoyeye will serve five years on probation, with the initial three years under supervision. Additionally, he is barred from working with vulnerable adults or children during his probation.
