93-Year-Old Woman Arrested Because Senior Home Said She Wasn't Paying Rent, But Woman Says It's A Lie

Aug 31, 2018

The police came to arrest Juanita Fitzgerald, a 93-year-old resident of a Florida senior living facility, just a couple of days shy of her 94th birthday on charges of trespassing. They handcuffed her and carried her from the apartment while leaving every one of her belongings behind.  

Juanita had been late on her rent payment, which at the time was $161. Everything that she had is gone, she now claims. She says that the facility will no longer allow her to come back.

Luckily, her $500 bail was posted and Juanita was released from her cell. The senior citizen was able to spend her birthday out from behind bars. She was taken by the Mid-Florida Homeless Coalition and put into a nearby motel after her bail was posted and she was free to go. The organization wanted to make sure that the elderly lady didn’t end up on the streets after being released from jail. The organization’s board member, B.E. Thompson, stated that they are working with her in order to accommodate her as quickly as they possibly can. 

The staff members at the senior living facility said that Juanita refused to seek help for her new house. She told staff that she was not going to pay rent any longer because she felt as if she was going to pass away soon.

Juanita stated that she did offer half of all of her properties, but the facility turned the offer down. 

Juanita is now receiving the assistance she needs, with the help of a local Florida resident. A GoFundMe page has been set up for her to help with her housing situation. 

What do you think about arresting a senior citizen because of a late rent payment? Do you have any insight on the situation? Let us know in the comments below and pass this on to friends and family!