Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

EAST GREENWICH -- A 24-year-old male nursing assistant at the St. Elizabeth Home has been charged with sexually assaulting an elderly female resident, the police said.

Matthew Doyle, of 15 Wampanoag Trail, West Greenwich, was taken into custody Wednesday and was arraigned at District Court in Kent County the following day. He has been charged with first- and second-degree sexual assault and disorderly conduct, said Deputy Chief William Higgins.

Doyle is being held without bail at the Adult Correctional Institutions in Cranston, pending an Aug. 14 hearing.

According to the police, the incident is alleged to have happened sometime Monday, Higgins said. The victim is a 69-year-old woman who lives at St. Elizabeth, off Grandview Avenue, reportedly said to have advanced Alzheimer's disease.

The facility gives nursing, rehabilitative and special care living for people with Alzheimer's disease and/or dementia.

An administrator contacted the police two days after the alleged incident occurred. Higgins declined to provide details as how administrators learned of the alleged assault, or how long Doyle, a certified nursing assistant, has been employed. Higgins did not provide any information on the victim's condition.

The incident is under investigation.

The Saint Elizabeth Home is among four nursing home facilities in Rhode Island operated by the Saint Elizabeth Community based in Providence. The non-profit, non-sectarian organization has been in existence since 1882.

-- Journal staff writer Lisa Vernon-Sparks

 Tags  East Greenwich

Leave a comment

Please be civil. Vicious comments, personal attacks and profanity won't be published. Name and email are required; email address will not publish.

Name:

Email:

URL:  

Remember personal info?

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.