Las Vegas police arrest group home worker on elder abuse charges

Las Vegas police arrested a 54-year-old man on more than a dozen elder abuse charges this week after investigators raided an unlicensed group home Thursday and found 12 victims.

Bruce Wycoff faces eight counts of abuse of an elderly or vulnerable person and seven counts of neglect of an elderly or vulnerable person, jail records show. He was booked Thursday into the Clark County Detention Center.

The Metropolitan Police Department announced Friday that Las Vegas detectives and investigators with the Nevada attorney general’s office had been tipped off to the unlicensed group home, located on the 3100 block of Parkdale Avenue, near East Desert Inn Road and Boulder Highway.

Investigators accused the home’s employees of exploiting the victims, many of whom police said were mentally handicapped, dependent or otherwise homeless and qualified for various benefits.

“The victims were promised their medical needs, health and food would be taken care of at the group home,” police said in a statement.

But investigators said the facility was unsanitary and had no operational bathrooms.

Several employees also had violent criminal backgrounds and had been seen with firearms on property, police said. Some reportedly intimidated victims and told them not to contact law enforcement.

Authorities served a search warrant on the unlicensed home Thursday and arrested Wycoff, who was working at the time.

Medical crews were at the scene to assist and relocate the victims, with state long-term care ombudsmen and officials with Elder Protective Services and multiple branches of the Department of Social Services, police said.

The raid was part of an ongoing investigation, and police said more people could face charges.

Anyone with any information about this case may contact Metro’s special victims section at 702-828-3364 or Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555.

Contact Rachel Crosby at rcrosby@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3801. Follow @rachelacrosby on Twitter.