INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis metro police have a warrant out for a former home caregiver accused of robbing his patient at gunpoint.
The victim uses a wheelchair and is warning others to be careful when hiring someone to work in their homes. 61-year-old Leonard Royer was enjoying a card game with some friends one afternoon in August when he heard someone knock on the door, and a familiar face forced his way inside.
“He told me he wanted money, smacked me in the face and pointed a gun at me,” Royer recalled.
Royer said he recognized it was his former caregiver, Dewayne Finklea, who burst in demanding everybody put their hands up. He and his guests refused to hand over any money despite Finklea reportedly threatening to kill Royer. Royer later learned $350 was missing from his bank account, suspecting Finklea stole his account information. The money has yet to be returned to Royer.
“You hire somebody that’s supposed to take care of you and he goes and does that to you,” Royer said. “It kind of shakes you up a little bit.”
Royer said Finklea worked as his caregiver for a full year before he was fired from the company FreedomCare. Court documents mention there were previous reports of neglect and abuse filed against Finklea stemming from a hospital stay in April reportedly caused by a lack of care. Royer said at the time he “wasn’t aware of what was going on,” but his case manager noticed something was wrong and urged him to see a doctor.
“What got me into this wheelchair was I had a stroke on Christmas Day of 2019. Great Christmas present,” Royer said with a laugh.
Royer, an army veteran, has a sense of humor about it, but said he’s gone through bouts of depression and suicidal thoughts – unable to do the things he loves to do anymore or feel truly independent.
“To tell you the truth, when I had my stroke, I wish it would’ve killed me because it basically took my life,” Royer said. “I was a painter and it ended my career as a painter because I can’t paint anymore.”
He said admitting the need for a caregiver to begin with was challenging.
“I have a problem asking for help because I feel I’m a burden to everybody,” Royer said.
It also took Royer about a week after the robbery to file a police report, fearing Finklea would return.
“Be careful who you choose for a caregiver. I had him checked out and he checked out okay,” Royer said. “I never thought he would do that.”
“We do know that abuse and neglect in these service arrangements is fairly common,” said Justin Schrock with Indiana Disability Rights.
Schrock, a senior attorney with Indiana Disability Rights, said abuse, neglect and exploitation are also very common in nursing homes. And unlike many other states, Indiana doesn’t require former staff to be added to a registry for committing those crimes.
“I would generally recommend that if someone has a just a bad feeling even about a particular potential staff person, that they trust that and try to have someone else assigned,” Schrock said. “It’s oftentimes going to be very difficult for the individuals in these circumstances and the families who are attempting to support them, but they really should try and do as much due diligence as they reasonably can.”
IMPD encourages families to look for warning signs in their loved ones, like mood changes, new scrapes or bruises and more frequent hospital trips.
“You deserve to live a life that doesn’t have to worry about physical harm coming from a caretaker, or being placed in fear of your life. You deserve that respect and safety,” Officer Drew Brown said. “We’re here to help you. We’re here to be that voice for you and hold those responsible that are accountable for this type of thing.”
Finklea now faces felony armed robbery and intimidation charges, as well as a misdemeanor battery charge.
FOX59/CBS4 reached out to FreedomCare for comment but haven’t heard back.
“The main thing I can say to other people is, make sure you know your people before you hire them,” Royer added.
