Loretta Harris (Courtesy of Montgomery County District Attorney’s office)
A Philadelphia home health aide has been sentenced to five years of probation for her role in the neglect of a severely disabled Upper Dublin Township resident who died last year, according to a report.
Loretta Harris, 46, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to endangering the welfare of a care-dependent person, theft by deception, and conspiracy after investigators determined she was paid to provide care she never delivered to 21-year-old Tylim Hatchett, who lived in Dresher. Harris was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community service.
Hatchett, who had cerebral palsy and was blind, nonverbal, and unable to walk, died on Sept. 18, 2024, at his Market Street apartment in Upper Dublin. An autopsy ruled his death a homicide caused by complications of cerebral palsy in the setting of neglect.
Investigators found that Hatchett lost more than 30 pounds in the months leading up to his death and was frequently left alone without food, medication, or supervision. Court records show that Harris and Hatchett’s mother, Sherrilynn Hawkins, submitted false time records to Aveanna Healthcare and were paid thousands of dollars for care that was not provided.
Hawkins later pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and related charges and was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in state prison. The victim’s father, Vernon Hatchett, of Glenside, remains wanted on charges related to neglect and abuse; county authorities are offering a $7,500 reward for information leading to his arrest.
Upper Dublin police began investigating after responding to a report of an unresponsive person at the residence, where Hatchett was found severely emaciated and pronounced dead at the scene.
The case has drawn attention to the oversight of in-home care services and the vulnerability of care-dependent residents in the community.
