Upper Darby Man Charged With Assaulting His Wheelchair-Bound Grandmother

UPPER DARBY, Pa. (CBS) - A 40-year-old Delaware County man is behind bars in lieu of $20,000 cash bail, accused of assaulting his elderly grandmother inside their Upper Darby home on Wednesday night.

Police accompanied health officials who went to the house in the 200 block of West Park Lane on a complaint about deplorable conditions outside the home.

Inside, police found an 87-year-old, wheelchair-bound woman who told them she was attacked by her grandson.

Upper Darby police superintendent Michael Chitwood says Edward Malm is charged with harassment and assault.

"She said that the bruising was caused by her grandson who was upstairs sleeping, (that) he slammed her into a wall and berated her because she was in a wheelchair," Chitwood told reporters.

Chitwood says Malm would also take the batteries out of her stair chair so she couldn't get out of the basement of the home when he held drug parties.

Police and the county agency that handles elder issues are still investigating.

Reported by Brad Segall, KYW Newsradio 1060.