MANSFIELD - A 44-year-old woman has been arrested by Mansfield police in connection with the suspicious death of her 77-year-old mother on Oct. 23, according to Lt. Rob Skropits, head of the Mansfield Police Department Major Crimes Unit.
Officers were called to an address in the 300 block of Second Avenue for a deceased person. Patrol officers called for a Major Crimes detective and the Richland County coroner, once they saw the victim inside an upstairs bedroom deceased and she looked to be very emaciated, according to Skropits.
According to the police report, police were called to the residence at 3:17 p.m.
The victim was identified as Linda Sweat, according to police. Police believe she was the victim's primary caregiver.
Upon consultation with the Richland County Prosecutor Gary Bishop it was decided to charge Jennifer K. Sweat with one count of involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the first degree, and one count of failing to provide for a functionally impaired person, a felony of the fourth degree. She was arrested and transported to the county jail, according to the police report.
The coroner’s office took the victim's body to the Montgomery County Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy and the office received a preliminary report from Montgomery County Medical Examiner's Office which showed issues of neglect, according to Skropits.
“This was a horrific scene that the officers and coroner’s office personnel were subjected to, a terrible loss of life to one of our citizens in the Mansfield community," Skropits said.
Jennifer Sweat remains in the Richland County Jail. A more detailed report will be available when the complete autopsy findings are done, according to the news release.
lwhitmir@nncogannett.com
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhitmir
