MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Melbourne man was arrested Thursday after police accused him of neglecting to take care of his grandmother, who died in January.

  • Allen Arias, 41, charged w/ aggravated manslaughter of elderly person
  • Staff at hospital said Anita Arias, 87, was in 'extremely poor health'
  • Autopsy shows grandson allegedly failed to give her proper medical care
  • RELATED: More Brevard County coverage

Allen Arias, 41, is charged with aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person, according to the Melbourne Police Department in a news release.

The investigation began January 21, 2019 after Arias took his 87-year-old grandmother Anita Arias to Holmes Regional Medical Center, where she died shortly after arrival.

According to police, medical staff said they noticed Anita was in “extremely poor health” and had injuries that demonstrated medical neglect.

Over the course of detectives’ investigation, they discovered Arias checked Anita out of a rehabilitation facility in December 2018. At the time, she was reportedly in fair health and showed no signs of medical neglect, police said.

Medical staffers at the facility gave Arias instructions on how to provide medical care to his grandmother. Although staff tried to follow up with Arias several times, they never heard back from him.

After Anita died, police say they executed a search warrant at Arias’ home. Investigators said evidence showed Anita was not given her medication, nor did it appear Arias provided any care required.

After a Medical Examiner performed an autopsy on Anita, it showed Arias’ lack of medical care allegedly contributed to her death.

Police took Arias into custody Thursday morning. His bond is set at $35,000.