AUSTIN, Texas -- The now suspended nurse aide, accused of abusing an 83-year-old woman at an Austin nursing home, was arrested and charged on Wednesday.
KVUE was there as Pflugerville police arrested Carlos Santacruz at his home around 4:00 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Austin police charged Santacruz with assault by contact, a class a misdemeanor.
Snapchat images show Santacruz purposefully tickling an elderly woman's face while she had feces on her hands. The incident in question occurred at the Windsor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Duval in North Austin.
Jasmyn Long saw several of the Snapchat videos on March 27 and contacted the nursing home. There are posts showing her arguing with Santacruz about his actions.
KVUE talked to the victim's son, Chandler McCaughan, about the development.
"We're just relieved that we're finally starting to see some justice for my mom and we're incredibly grateful for everything that you've done and for what APD is doing," said McCaughan.
Santacruz's charge comes after an Austin police detective originally planned to close out the investigation. He told the family there wasn't enough evidence to proceed.
But on Wednesday, a police spokeswoman said the detective's supervisor disagreed with his assessment.
If convicted, Santacruz could face up to a year in state jail and or a fine of up to $4,000.
