DeBary, FL - The Volusia Sheriff's Office (VSO) has arrested and charged a 49-year-old caretaker with abusing a disabled adult after the victim said he was battered, threatened, and prevented from leaving his own home.
According to an email from the VSO, the suspect, Ryan Ganim, was described as a family friend who cares for the disabled couple at their home and has power of attorney. The victim—a 73-year-old legally blind man with diminished hearing—and his 79-year-old wife have lived with Ganim for seven years so he can care for them at their Columbine Trail home.
According to the victim, he and Ganim got into an argument on Saturday (September 4) after the victim's dog had soiled in the house. The argument turned physical when Ganim struck the victim on the side of his head with a closed fist, struck the couch with an unknown object that made a loud sound, and threatened to cut the victim's head off.
Ganim then reportedly struck the victim’s right forearm with what felt like a baseball bat. When the victim stood up to leave, Ganim took a rope that hung from the ceiling—commonly used for physical therapy—and wrapped it around the victim’s neck before letting go. After finally escaping from Ganim's grasp, the victim tried to leave the home but discovered that Ganim had screwed the front door shut to prevent him from leaving.
From there, the disabled victim managed to crawl out the back of the house and through a gate, a path unfamiliar to him, to a neighbor's home where he asked them to call for help.
When deputies arrived they observed the victim's forearm, which was red and had dried blood on it, but determined he did not require medical attention.
Deputies spoke with Ganim, who denied striking the victim in any way and stated the victim's wife is "like a mother" to him. When asked about the front door, Ganim stated he screwed the door shut to prevent the victim from "wandering." When searching Ganim, deputies discovered a pair of metal pliers that had a small amount of blood on them. Investigators believe it may have been used to strike the victim’s forearm.
Ganim was charged with abuse of an elderly/disabled person and false imprisonment. He was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail and has since been released on pretrial supervision. Ganim has one prior booking in Volusia County in 2017 where he was arrested on an out-of-county warrant for driving without a license.
Florida law requires the reporting of known or suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self-neglect of vulnerable adults (elderly or disabled). The Florida Abuse Hotline receives reports 24 hours a day. Call 1-800-962-2873 or 1-800-96-ABUSE. Report online at https://reportabuse.dcf.state.
