Disabled woman kept as a prisoner for more than a year

A man and a woman from Rockaway Park were arraigned Tuesday for keeping a partially paralyzed woman prisoner for more than a year while they beat and abused her, forced her to clean up after their multiple pets, deprived her of food and medical care, and took her Social Security checks.

According to the Queens District Attorney, Patrick Donovan, 42, and Mae Washington, 63, both of 112-32 Rockaway Beach Blvd., inveigled the 58-year-old woman, identified in published reports as Maureen Murray, to leave her assisted living facility on Jan. 1 2011 and to move in with them to "save money."

After a niece complained on March 22 she was not permitted to speak with her aunt, cops found Murray in the residence with a broken arm, broken ribs, internal bleeding to her skull and cuts on her arms and legs. Donovan and Washington were charged with kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and endangering the welfare of an incompetent or disabled person. They face 25 years to life if convicted.

Attorneys for Donovan and Washington did not immediately return calls requesting comment.