Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Upper Dublin Township Police Chief Francis Wheatley announced today the arrests of Sherrilynn Hawkins, 42, of Dresher, and Loretta Harris, 45, of Philadelphia, and the arrest warrant for Vernon Hatchett, 39, of Glenside, on charges in connection to the neglect of 21-year-old Tylim Hatchett, a care-dependent person, on September 18, 2024.
According to the District Attorney’s report, Upper Dublin Police responded to an apartment complex in Dresher for the report of an unresponsive person. When officers arrived, they found Tylim Hatchett severely emaciated and lying on the floor. Vernon Hatchett was at the scene and told officers he found his son at 6:00pm, almost two hours prior to a 911 call on his behalf.
Tylim Hatchett was pronounced deceased at the scene, the report said.
An autopsy was conducted on September 19 by a forensic pathologist at the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. The cause of death was found to be complications of Cerebral Palsy in the setting of neglect and was ruled a homicide.
Upper Dublin Police Department and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau conducted a joint investigation which found that from February to September 18, Tylim Hatchett had lost 31 pounds, dropping from 90 pounds to 59 pounds in approximately seven months. The investigation also found that Hawkins and Harris both were receiving money and submitting hours to Aveanna Healthcare to be compensated for the time they were not caring for Tylim Hatchett.
A review of cell phone records found that Hawkins and Harris would “clock in” as a caretaker for Tylim Hatchett at times they were not actively with him, leaving him alone for upwards of 24 hours at a time. Between September 1 and September 18, Tylim Hatchett was left in the apartment by himself for 356 of the 425 hours, translating to 82% of the time within those 18 days, the District Attorney said.
Medical records for Tylim Hatchett found through Aveanna Healthcare listed several medications he was meant to take daily, prepared and provided by a caregiver as Tylim Hatchett was unable to self-medicate. The investigation revealed that Harris had not provided him any medications when she visited.
Throughout September, Hawkins messaged Vernon Hatchett multiple times about their son’s deteriorating health yet continued to leave him alone without providing him food or medicine.
All three defendants have been charged with Neglect of a Care-Dependent Person. Hawkins is also charged with First-Degree Murder, Third-Degree Murder, Theft by Deception and related charges; Vernon Hatchett is also charged with Involuntary Manslaughter; Harris is also charged with Theft by Deception.
Hawkins was arraigned at 9:30am on Tuesday, December 31. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 10, 2025.
Harris is scheduled for arraignment later today and an active warrant is out for Vernon Hatchett’s arrest. His wanted poster is below:
Photos: Montco DA