Deborah Benita Hodge, 57, arrested for incident back in October

Deborah Benita Hodge (OCSO)

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County woman accused of taking a person with disabilities to a facility that investigators said didn’t have a proper license has been arrested, according to Apopka police.

According to an affidavit for arrest warrant, Deborah Hodge, 57, was arrested following an incident that happened last year.

Apopka police said back in October, an employee at the Quest Training Center located at 210 West 4th St. called to report that a woman entered the facility and took a severely disabled adult without their medication.

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During its investigation, police determined Hodge as the suspect, saying she was a previous caregiver for the victim, records show.

Two months prior to the incident at the Quest Training Center, The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities completed an emergency suspension on the group home facility, Hodge’s Group Home, located at 4001 Caluga Court in Orlando, the affidavit said. The facility lost its license after Hodge’s sister died while placed at the facility, the report said. Investigators went on to say that the license was removed due to the facility presenting a “danger to the health, safety or welfare of the residents in the facility.”

Apopka police said the day after the suspension order was placed on the group home in August, The Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities placed the victim in the care of Omelda Home Care.

On Nov. 1, Hodges was arrested on charges of interference of custody and neglect of an elderly or disabled adult. She bonded out the following day.

On Thursday, Hodges was arrested again, but this time on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a disabled adult.

News 6 has reached out to investigators for details on the new charges and arrest.

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About the Author:

Landon joined News 6 in 2017. He grew up in Southern Illinois and graduated from Southern Illinois University with a bachelors degree in TV and digital media. When he is not at work you can catch him at one of Orlando's theme parks or the beach. Before working at News 6 he worked for stations in Miami and Fort Myers.