Tucson man pleads guilty to vulnerable adult abuse
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TUCSON, Ariz. -- A Tucson man has pleaded guilty to abusing his incapacitated girlfriend by failing to care for her, causing her to be hospitalized.
Pima County prosecutors say 48-year-old Christopher Joseph Lopez pleaded guilty Monday to vulnerable adult abuse/domestic violence.
He's facing a mandatory prison term of between six months and 21/2 years in prison at his Nov. 15 sentencing.
Lopez originally was indicted in June on two counts of vulnerable adult abuse.
The Arizona Daily Star says Lopez will have to reimburse the state Medicaid program known as the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.
Authorities say Lopez's girlfriend was incapacitated by a stroke about 10 years ago and he was being paid by the state to care for her. Prosecutors say her medical bills are between $225,000 and $250,000.
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Information from: Arizona Daily Star, http://www.azstarnet.com
