Royal Palm Beach man charged with elder abuse and neglect

ROYAL PALM BEACH, Florida. Last week, a man from the Royal Palm Beach Hotel was arrested on charges of abusing an elderly couple he was supposed to care for.

Chris Gisonni, 50, faces several charges including elder abuse, neglect of the elderly and kidnapping.

Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies were called to check on the welfare of the 82-year-old woman.

Alex Rodriguez has been living across the street from Gisonni for over a year now.

“He used to have his own private things to do outside the home and he could, you know, be short-tempered,” Rodriguez said. “The more you get to know people, you might just start to feel a little better about who’s around you, but at the same time there are those who are curious, like who they are.”

Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies said Gisonni was aggressive and at times dragged the 82-year-old woman to the window.

The deputies were able to get inside and make an arrest.

Matthew Kauerauf / WPTV

“Yes, it’s surreal, this is the first time I’ve come across a situation like this – I mean, so close,” Rodriguez said.

Deputies said the woman was extremely malnourished, had high blood pressure and appeared to be suffering from dementia.

According to the probable cause statement, she also had bruises from the incident and appeared extremely confused and upset.

A 91-year-old man who lived in the house was recently hospitalized with a cerebral hemorrhage.

The inside of the house was damaged, there was almost no food, two loaded guns and mold on a chair, which deputies said was used by one of the elderly.

“We get calls every day about elder abuse,” attorney Joe Landy said.

Landy said that 1 in 10 older people are abused each year. He said 60% was due to neglect and abuse of family members.

“It was clearly intimidating; it was obviously tragic, but you’re obviously also dealing with someone who was very sick, a very twisted and mentally ill person,” Landy said.

Landy said the main forms of elder abuse he sees in Palm Beach County are neglect and physical and emotional abuse.

Gisonni was held on $121,000 bail. His next hearing will be on March 6.