A misdemeanor trial in late June will determine if a Carson City woman is guilty of abusing her disabled sister. But whether or not the alleged beatings caused the victim's death remains to be seen, police reports indicate.
On April 24 officers were called out to the home of Patricia VonDracek, 50, after a home care nurse allegedly witnessed Patricia slap and punch her disabled sister, Sandra VonDracek, 55, on April 23.
Deputy Josh Stagliano said Patricia denied hitting her sister, but Sandra, who has a brain injury from a motor vehicle accident 15 years ago, said Patricia did hit her often.
Stagliano called paramedics and had Sandra taken to the hospital. It was his understanding, according to police reports, that Sandra, a veteran of the Navy, would not be returned to her sister's care and hospital staff would attempt to get her placed in to the Veteran's Hospital in Reno.
Based on the witness and victim statements Stagliano submitted a report to the District Attorney's Office for a warrant.
On May 21, Stagliano and another deputy went to VonDracek's Hillview Drive home to serve the arrest warrant. While there, Patricia informed them that Sandra had been returned to her home and that on May 15 she had died while sitting in a recliner in the living room.
Stagliano arrested Patricia VonDracek on a single charge of domestic battery and transported her to the jail with a $15,000 bail.
Then, Stagliano contacted the detective division, said Carson City Detective Craig Lowe.
"He was extremely concerned and asked me to look into it," said Lowe.
In his report, Lowe said he located Sandra's remains at a Carson City funeral home and was able to photograph "numerous contusions and what appeared to be scratch marks on Sandra's face."
He then requested that the body be transferred to the Washoe County Medical Examiner's Office for a full autopsy.
Though a cause of death was not determined, the autopsy revealed that Sandra suffered "numerous fractured ribs, and internal (soft tissue) bleeding in the lower abdominal area."
"According to the attending pathologist, there were signs of non-accidental injuries from numerous incidents," Lowe wrote in the report. Patricia's 14-year-old son allegedly told police that a week before Sandra died his mother had stomped on her lower stomach as Sandra lay on the floor.
"(The teen) claimed he restrained his mother and removed her from the room telling her to calm down and that he would care for Sandra," according to the report.
Following a three-hour interview with Patricia in the detective division, Lowe additionally booked her into the Carson City Jail on suspicion of felony domestic battery with substantial bodily harm and felony abuse of a vulnerable person. Her bail was set at an additional $100,000.
Lowe said until the results of a toxicology and neurologist's examination of the brain, the cause of death is still pending.