Arnaudville Man Arrested For Giving Grandma Drugs

St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Investigators have arrested a 34-year-old man accused of purposely giving narcotics to his 78 year old grandmother.

According to St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office Spokesperson Captain Megan Vizena,

“Todd Richard of Arnaudville was charged with cruelty to the infirmed, exploitation of the infirmed and distribution of schedule II drugs. We received an anonymous tip that the elderly victim was being abused by her grandson.  After speaking to the victim, it was learned that she had given Richard over $7,000 since January to pay her bills. She discovered her bills were not being paid after her water was disconnected for over 3 weeks. Detectives interviewed Richard and he admitted to slipping narcotics into his grandmother’s food to make her sleep while he would smoke crystal methamphetamines in her attic.”

Vizena adds that the elderly can often become prey for swindlers even if they are in their own family.

Vizena says, “Unfortunately, no one is immune to abuse, not even our elders. They are usually our most vulnerable victims and depend on others to meet their most basic needs. If you notice changes in a senior’s personality or behavior, you should start to question what is going on. Remember, it is not your role to verify that abuse is occurring, only to alert us of your suspicions.”

Richard is being held at the St. Landry Parish Jail with no bond.