Police officials said the 79-year-old woman, later identified as Shela, succumbed to her injuries she received a week earlier after having gone to her daughter’s residence and demanding she pay unpaid rent owed to her only for the daughter to allegedly shove her down stairs and proceed to hit her with an unopened can of pasta sauce. The doctors said the elderly woman died from complications of injuries received following the confrontation with her daughter, 49-year-old Nicole.
The 49-year-old suspect was already in custody on felony and misdemeanor assault charges stemming from the June incident, MPD said in a news release. Following an autopsy, Shela’s death was pinned on the attack at the hands of her daughter, authorities said. Prosecutors are now considering additional charges against the daughter following the elderly woman’s death, police said. The violent confrontation began when Shela came over to Nicole’s home, which was owned by her mother, according to a criminal complaint.
Shela wanted to talk to her daughter about unpaid rent, but Nicole instead allegedly slapped her in the face before pushing her down several stairs, the complaint states. She then hit her mother in her ribs and hips with an unopened pasta sauce can. After the attack, the elder told police she had rib pain and a broken ankle, authorities said. Nicole was arrested about a week before cops went to Shela’s residence for a ‘medical emergency.’ ‘Officers attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful,’ police officials said, adding, ‘The County Medical Examiner later determined in a post-mortem exam the manner of death was a homicide related to the physical altercation.’
The medical examiner’s office determined she died from pulmonary thromboemoboli — the result of a broken bone from the attack, KTSP reported. In a conversation with police, Nicole made statements about her mother being her landlord and coming into the residence without permission, charges state. She also made a statement regarding pushing Shela and ‘her falling a little bit down the stairs. Shela was remembered as a beautiful soul and caring grandmother, according to her obituary, which stated she had two other children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.