Couple Convicted of Abusing Elderly Blind Woman in Their Care

Two Glassell Park residents were found guilty Wednesday of abusing an elderly disabled woman entrusted to their care in what Los Angeles County prosecutors said may be the first case tried under a 1984 state law designed to protect dependent adults.

Nadine Pensis, 43, and her brother Michael, 48, who were convicted of one count each of adult-endangering and assault, will be sentenced by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Kathleen Parker on Feb. 27.

The pair were arrested in July, 1984, for allegedly mistreating Laura Short, 87, a frail blind woman who had resided at Nadine Pensis’ home for about three years. Pensis had been appointed Short’s legal conservator in 1982 under an arrangement in which she was responsible for the elderly woman’s care in exchange for receiving her monthly Social Security checks.

Acquitted of Other Charges

The two defendants were acquitted of charges of abusing a second woman, Wilma White, 73, who had moved into Pensis’ home a week before the arrests. White had hired Nadine Pensis through the state’s In-Home Supportive Services program, which reimburses workers to assist the elderly with chores in their homes.

“There was something terrible going on here,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Wendy L. Widlus. “It was a classic case of child-endangering-- only these victims weren’t children.”

Police were first alerted to the situation by friends of White, who feared for the women’s safety. Upon arrival at the home, they discovered Short wandering in a debris-strewn backyard and removed her and White from the property. At the time, police charged that Short was being forced to live in a hot, dirty shed in the backyard.

Physical Abuse

During a three-week trial, however, the evidence centered around specific assaults and the overall condition of the property.

One neighbor testified that she saw Nadine Pensis kick Short in her buttocks. A 15-year-old boy, meanwhile, said he once saw Michael Pensis grab Short by the hair and throw her to the ground. That incident occurred, the youth said, when he let Short out of the Pensis yard after she cried, “Help me, help me,” as he was walking past the gate.

Widlus called a dozen witnesses in all, including police, neighbors and state social services employees. White was too ill to come to the courtroom, and Short, who was brought to the courtroom to be viewed by the jury, was not mentally capable of testifying, the prosecutor said.

Had Been Evicted

Authorities said Nadine Pensis had first met Short about 10 years ago when she opened a dress shop in Hollywood. She was taken in by Pensis after being evicted from her apartment.

In her closing arguments, Widlus contended that the women were forced to live in a house “that was a fire waiting to happen.” Michael C. Carney, counsel for Nadine Pensis, responded that the prosecution never proved the women lived in a life-endangering situation.

“We’re talking about . . . a messy house,” Carney said. “Where is the life-threatening situation?”

The defendants could face four years in state prison on each of the counts, authorities said.