JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An East Arlington man is charged in connection with his elderly mother-in-law's death, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Police said David Daly, 60, waited four days after his mother-in-law had a stroke to get her medical attention. By that time, doctors said that they couldn't do much to help, and 87-year-old Eileen Adler died.
The Department of Children and Families began the investigation, and brought in the Sheriff's Office, which arrested Daly on a charge of culpable negligence.
Daly was booked into the Duval County Jail, but was released Saturday after posting $50,000 bond.
News4Jax on Monday got the chance to get his side of the story, and asked Daly for his explanation of what happened.
"Without speaking with my lawyer, I'd rather hold that until trial," Daly said in response.
Daly denied the accusations, saying he never neglected his mother-in-law.
"To the best of my knowledge, she never had a stroke," Daly said.
According to a police report, Adler had a stroke in February and stopped eating, but Daly didn't call for help until four days later.
By then, DCF told authorities that Adler was beyond medical help.
"Adler was found soaked in blood and urine and was severely dehydrated with a heart rate of below 39 beats per minute," the police report said.
She died on Feb. 14.
"She died in the hospital and you can call the hospital. I'm sure the police will tell you," Daly said.
News4Jax asked Daly whether, to the best of his knowledge, Adler never stopped eating.
"To the best of my knowledge, only at the very, very, very end," Daly said.
Daly denied all the allegations, but did say there is something he could have done differently.
"There may have been a mistake or an error in judgment about when we could have or should have sent her to the hospital," Daly said. "I mean, could I have sent her a couple days earlier? In retrospect, of course."
The DCF is looking into this, and the agency stressed the important of the abuse hotline -- 1-800-962-2873.
Daly said his trial date has been set.
When News4Jax asked if his wife was also arrested, he replied, "no comment."