Delco man allowed ailing mother to ‘fuse' to her bed, police say

Editor's note: This story contains disturbing allegations of abuse.

An Upper Chichester Township man has been arrested after police officers say they discovered he had failed to care for his bedridden mother to the point that she had become "fused" to a bed that was covered in feces and maggots.

According to police, Daniel Klein, 51, of Upper Chichester Township, was arrested and charged with abuse of a care-dependent person and reckless endangerment offenses after officers visited his home along Dresner Circle this week.

On Monday, at about 12:20 p.m., law enforcement officials said, officers visited the home for a well-being check after a neighbor noticed packages piled at the front door and said no one was answered when they tried knocking on the front and back doors.

Officers found stacked packages and white plastic bags of food around the front door along with "a large amount of trash" visible in the home through a rear sliding door, police said.

After getting no response at either entrance and seeing trash and flies inside the home, officials said the officers decided to force their way into the home "due to the belief that the residents inside were deceased or having a medical emergency."

However, upon entering the home, officials said the officers were met by Klein.

According to police, the officers discussed the situation with Klein and noticed a "foul odor" inside the home. The officers then asked Klein if they could check on his mother's well-being, and he escorted them to a rear bedroom where he reportedly told the officers his mother was sleeping.

Inside the bedroom officers said they found Klein's mother in a bed, unconscious but breathing and covered by a soiled blanket.

Officers requested medical services to the home, and upon their arrival, officials said the EMS workers removed the blanket on Klein's mother to discover "her lower half to be covered in dried feces and maggots and her to have ram's horn toenails."

The EMS workers also found that Klein's mother had become "fused to the bed," according to police, and though they were able to remove her from the bed with some effort, she remained "fused to the bed sheets."

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and Klein was placed under arrest, officials said.

He is in custody awaiting an arraignment after being unable to post bail, officials said.