EPIC LI caregiver hit disabled person with book, agency says

A Queens woman is facing assault and abuse charges after state investigators said she repeatedly struck a disabled person in her care in Nassau County with a book.

Marie Calvaire, 62, of Queens Village was arraigned Wednesday on eight counts, including two felonies, at First District Court in Hempstead, the Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs said in a news release Wednesday.

Prosecutors said Calvaire had been working at a facility run by EPIC Long Island, which offers services for people with epilepsy and a range of mental and physical disabilities, in November 2015 when she repeatedly struck a person in the head with a book.

Nassau County police arrested Calvaire on Tuesday following a Justice Center investigation.

She was charged with second-degree attempted assault and first-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, both felonies. Other charges were second-degree endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, second-degree reckless endangerment, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree attempted assault, third-degree menacing, all misdemeanors, and second-degree harassment, a violation.

Online court records show Calvaire was arraigned before Judge William Hohauser, who issued a temporary order of protection and set bail at $1,500 cash, $2,500 bond. Calvaire pleaded not guilty and did not post bail, according to court records.

Calvaire was suspended from her position as a direct support worker at the EPIC facility and does not appear to have an attorney. She is due back in court on Thursday.

The Justice Center is state agency that seeks to protect New York residents with disabilities and catalog and investigate reports of abuse. The center, which began operation in June 2013, runs a 24-hour hotline, investigates the most serious cases and maintains a registry of offenders convicted of abuse and neglect.

The Justice Center also oversees six offices and their certification programs, including the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, which approved the facility where Calvaire worked.

“People with disabilities and special needs who are dependent on others for their care deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and feel safe in their residences,” Special Prosecutor Patricia E. Gunning said in a statement Wednesday. “The Justice Center works tirelessly to ensure that individuals, like this service recipient, who are victimized by a caregiver, receive the justice they deserve.”