What to Know
- A caretaker for two Pennsylvania group homes is accused of physically and mentally abusing three adults with disabilities.
- During one instance, he allegedly left two people in his care locked inside a car while he visited a strip club for hours.
- Antonio Montoya, 33, of Allentown, is charged with neglect of care of a dependent person, strangulation and simple assault.
A caretaker for two Pennsylvania group homes is accused of physically and mentally abusing three adults with disabilities over the span of a year and during once instance, leaving two of them locked in a car while visiting a strip club.
Antonio Montoya, 33, of Allentown, is charged with neglect of care of a dependent person, strangulation and simple assault.
Montoya was a caretaker for Resources for Human Development, a national human services nonprofit that cares for people with mental and physical disabilities. Police began investigating Montoya in January when they received a report accusing him of abusing three residents at RHD facilities in Bethlehem Township and Freemansbug.
Investigators determined Montoya repeatedly abused the residents between January, 2018 and Jan. 24 of this year. Montoya allegedly choked one resident to the point In which the victim’s face turned blue and slammed the victim's head into a wall, causing cuts on the victim’s forehead.
Montoya also repeatedly struck two other residents in the head with his fists and a nerf baseball bat, according to the criminal complaint. During one incident on Halloween of 2018, Montoya took the two residents to a strip club parking lot and locked them inside while he visited the club for several hours, investigators said.
Montoya was arrested Thursday and is being held on $100,000 bail. Court records do not list an attorney for him.
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A spokesperson for Resources for Human Development told NBC10 Montoya no longer works for them.
“We are shocked and outraged at the alleged actions of one of our former employees,” the spokesperson said. “Upon learning of these unconscionable allegations, RHD immediately contacted the authorities, moved to ensure care for program participants who were affected, and launched an internal investigation that has resulted in the termination of that employee.”
The spokesperson said they are cooperating fully with the police investigation.
