Local News in Brief : Woman to Stand Trial in Endangerment Case

A North Hollywood woman was ordered Wednesday to stand trial for allegedly endangering a 91-year-old woman in her care who developed potentially fatal skin ulcers and was malnourished.

After a nearly four-hour preliminary hearing, Municipal Judge Gregg Marcus determined that Anita Gayle Betterton, 41, should be tried on a felony charge of endangering the elderly woman.

The charge states that Elizabeth Gutt had developed ulcerated skin lesions while under Betterton’s care in June and July. Betterton, who is not a licensed nurse, had cared for the elderly woman for three years as she grew weaker and more senile, court testimony indicated.

Gutt’s doctor, Ellen Goudlock, testified that had the elderly woman not been hospitalized in July, she could have died from the skin ulcers.

Betterton had called the doctor to report that Gutt had developed serious bedsores, leading to the hospitalization, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Sue G. Lasicka.

Goudlock said the ulcers developed quickly because the woman was kept sitting in her own urine and feces, Lasicka said.

“She seemed to be in general not cared for. These ulcers were the most visible sign of it, but there were other signs,” Lasicka said.

Goudlock also testified that the woman had lost weight and was malnourished.

Betterton’s attorney, James M. Coady, contended that the doctor also may have been responsible for Gutt’s worsening condition.

“It’s not something someone without medical training should know,” he said.

Gutt is in a Pasadena nursing home and appears to be recovering, Lasicka said.