Nurse aide charged with slapping patient at Bluffton assisted living facility

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WTOC) - A certified nurse aide has been charged with assaulting a vulnerable adult patient at an assisted living facility in Beaufort County, officials say.

In an announcement, Attorney General Alan Wilson said his office’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit arrested Latoya L. Fennell, 49, of Early Branch. She was booked into the Beaufort County Detention Center on January 22, 2026.

Fennell faces one count of abuse of a vulnerable adult and one count of third-degree assault and battery, officials say.

A joint investigation by the Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud unit (VAMPF) and Bluffton Police Department determined that on October 31, 2025, Fennell knowingly and intentionally physically abused a resident by slapping the victim in the face while working as a certified nurse aide at The Addison of Bluffton.

At the time of the incident, the victim was classified as a vulnerable adult under South Carolina law and was residing in the assisted living facility, officials say.

Staff at The Addison of Bluffton identified the incident and promptly reported it to law enforcement. The facility provided full cooperation and transparency throughout the investigation, assisting investigators from both agencies.

The case will be prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office, officials say.

Abuse of a vulnerable adult is a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than five years, a fine of not more than $5,000, or both. Third-degree assault and battery is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 30 days, a fine of not more than $500, or both.

Officials say the VAMPF unit has authority over Medicaid provider fraud, abuse and neglect of Medicaid beneficiaries in any setting, and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of individuals residing in assisted living facilities or nursing homes.

Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.