In Kentucky, Ava Washington is accused of abusing her father, who has dementia, while serving as his main caregiver.

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — A Kentucky woman accused of striking her father with dementia and neglecting his care is headed toward an October trial after her husband reported the alleged abuse to deputies.

Ava Washington, 47, faces a charge of wanton abuse or neglect of an adult, a felony count tied to allegations inside a Hardin County home. Authorities say Washington was her father’s main caregiver when the case began, and prosecutors say the father has since been placed in state care. The case now turns on a recording, an arrest citation, and competing claims about what happened before Washington was arrested in December.

The case began on Oct. 2, 2025, when Washington’s husband contacted the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office and said his wife had abused her father, according to accounts of the arrest citation. He told law enforcement he had recorded the incident. The video, as described by authorities, showed the older man sitting on the edge of a bed while trying to put on clothes. Washington then entered the room, yelled at him and struck him in the groin area with the back of her hand, investigators said. The citation says she continued yelling before striking him two more times in the same area.

The alleged victim’s name has not been released in public reports. Authorities have described him as an elderly man with dementia who depended on Washington for care. The husband’s decision to report the case gave deputies a first-person witness and a recording that prosecutors are expected to use as central evidence. The account also moved the case beyond a private family dispute, placing it in the hands of law enforcement, prosecutors and the court system. Washington was arrested in December by the Hardin County Sheriff’s Office, about two months after the incident was reported. She was booked into the Hardin County Detention Center and held on a $5,000 cash bond after her arrest.

Hardin County Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Teresa Logsdon described the allegations in court and said the father was placed in the care of the state. Logsdon said Washington walked in and struck the man at least twice, and maybe three times, in the private area. She also addressed Washington’s position that the accusations may have been made in retaliation. Logsdon said the caregiving in the case “was not good,” then pointed to other complaints that the father had been found in his own feces and urine, had feces under his fingernails, and was eating with his hands. Those claims broaden the case from the alleged blows shown on video to the wider question of daily care.

Washington’s defense has pushed back against the charge and the prosecution’s reading of the evidence. Her attorney has said she has a strong chance of being found not guilty. He also noted that Washington dealt with health problems while she was jailed at the detention center. The public reports do not identify the specific health issues or say whether they are expected to become part of the defense at trial. Washington has been released from the Hardin County Detention Center, and the court process now continues with trial preparations.

The charge places Washington under Kentucky’s adult protection laws, which treat wanton abuse or neglect of an adult as a Class D felony. In plain terms, prosecutors must prove more than a bad moment or poor judgment. They must prove the elements of the charged offense under state law. The case is also likely to involve the meaning of caregiver responsibility, the father’s medical condition, and whether the video and other complaints show a pattern of conduct. The public record does not say whether any medical report, adult protective services file, or additional witness testimony will be introduced at trial.

The timeline is a key part of the case. The reported incident occurred Oct. 2. Washington was arrested in December. Local reporting on the arrest identified her as the father’s designated caretaker and said the incident happened in October. Later reporting said she had been released from jail days before the April account and that her trial was set for Oct. 13. That gap between the alleged recording and the scheduled trial leaves time for motions, evidence disputes and plea talks, though no public report has said that a plea agreement has been reached.

The case also highlights the difficulty of investigating alleged abuse inside a home, where much of a vulnerable adult’s care happens outside public view. Here, police were not called by the alleged victim, whose dementia may affect memory, speech and the ability to report harm. They were called by Washington’s husband, who authorities say had a recording. Prosecutors are likely to rely on what the video shows and on the surrounding complaints about hygiene and care. The defense is likely to challenge how those claims were gathered, what they prove, and whether they fairly describe Washington’s conduct.

No public report says Washington has been convicted of any crime in the case. The allegation remains pending, and the trial date gives both sides a deadline to prepare witness lists, exhibits and arguments. The father’s placement in state care changes the immediate caregiving arrangement, but it does not answer the legal questions the jury may be asked to decide.

Prosecutors have described a video and separate neglect complaints and Washington’s next major court milestone is her Oct. 13 trial in Hardin County. Her defense says she has a solid chance of acquittal.

Author note: Last updated May 20, 2026.