Cecilia Ann Lee (Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office)
A 20-year-old woman in Louisiana was arrested for savagely beating her grandmother, leaving the 85-year-old woman in critical condition, authorities say.
Cecilia Ann Lee — who allegedly took a nap after the battering — was taken into custody on Tuesday and charged with one count of attempted first-degree murder, one count of aggravated second-degree battery of the infirm, one count of cruelty to the infirm, one count of false imprisonment, and criminal property damage, records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a press release from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an emergency call regarding an elderly female suffering from multiple injuries on the evening of April 4 at Ville Platte, about 75 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Detectives said they soon learned that the woman’s injuries were caused by “foul play.”
The granddaughter was in town visiting that evening.
“During that time, she and her grandmother were involved in an altercation which turned physical,” the sheriff’s office said in the release. “During the altercation, the suspect struck the victim multiple times in her head, torso, arms, and hands with a heavy-duty wooden back scratcher and picture frame.”
It was unclear what sparked the altercation between Lee and her grandmother.
After beating the octogenarian nearly to death, investigators say that Lee went on to “vandalize” her grandmother’s home. She is also accused of intentionally damaging her grandmother’s cellphone “to keep her from contacting first responders,” EPSO said.
Following the alleged series of violent crimes, EPSO said Lee “fell asleep on a couch inside of the victim’s residence.”
As of Thursday, Lee remained jailed on more than $1 million bond, officials said.
Lee’s grandmother, who was not named, was in intensive care, listed in critical but stable condition.
The Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a message from Law&Crime seeking additional details regarding the incident.
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