Caregiver accused of abusing resident of long-term care facility who has serious burns, prosecutors say

A DuPage County caregiver was charged Wednesday for her involvement in an incident at a community-based home that resulted in an older resident sustaining second-degree burns to a majority of her lower body, prosecutors said.

Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office charged Darnitia Conner, 58, of Glendale Heights, with three counts of abuse of a long-term care facility resident, two counts of criminal neglect of a long-term care facility resident and one count of reckless conduct, according to an Attorney General’s Office news release.

Conner pleaded not guilty to all charges, and her next scheduled court date is March 10.

Conner was a caregiver at a Ray Graham Association home located in Bensenville in June 2024 when she allegedly failed to test the water temperature prior to placing a resident in a hot shower, according to the release.

The hot water allegedly caused second-degree burns to a majority of the resident’s lower body. Conner allegedly attempted to conceal the incident, failing to notify staff and medical personnel to the severity of the injuries, authorities said.

“Residents of long-term care facilities and community-based group homes rely on caretakers for their health and wellness,” Raoul said in the release. “All Illinois residents deserve to be safe in their homes, and it is appalling that any caretaker would cause serious harm to an elderly or vulnerable patient in their care.”

The DuPage County Sheriff’s Office assisted in investigating the case.

“The case brought before the grand jury was the result of hours of investigation and interagency cooperation between the sheriff’s department and Attorney General’s Office,” DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick said in the release. “The Sheriff’s Department takes the health, safety and well-being of all the residents of DuPage County seriously. It was especially disturbing to find a care giver of The Ray Graham Association, in a position of trust, cause bodily harm to one of its residents because of willful abuse and neglect.”