83-year-old man left dying, elderly girlfriend on the front porch for '1 to 2 weeks' and sprayed her with a garden hose: Police

Inset: Richard Engberg in court (WLUK). Background: News footage of the home where Richard Engberg's girlfriend was found (WLUK).

A Wisconsin man was charged with abuse after his elderly girlfriend was found on the front porch of their home, police say.

Richard Engberg, 83, was arrested on Sept. 9, two days after he called 911 to report that his 79-year-old girlfriend, who was not named, needed medical attention. According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, paramedics arrived at the home in Ellison Bay, Wisconsin, on the night of Sept. 7 and found the woman near the front porch, surrounded by overgrown shrubs, and covered in maggots. Police said she "screamed" in pain due to her skin peeling off when paramedics tried to move her.

According to the complaint, the woman was naked and covered in a comforter, lying on her side and barely responsive. Paramedics noted that she had several ulcers on her skin that were "filled with maggots." After being moved from the area by the front porch with a MegaMover, the woman was taken to HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin. She died on Sept. 10.

When police spoke to Engberg, he told them that the woman's health began to decline about three weeks prior to the night he called 911. Engberg told police that she was driving "erratically" and having issues with her memory. About a week after those symptoms started, Engberg said the woman had a seizure-like episode during which she was "saying strange things" and "twitching."

Following the incident, Engberg told police that the woman said she wanted to see if she would improve before they sought medical assistance. She began experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms and eventually started spending time on the front porch. Engberg told police that "when he tried to move her, she would yell in pain and complain about being touched."

According to the complaint, the woman's mental state deteriorated and she "stayed on the porch because she was more comfortable there and liked the fresh air." Engberg told police that he made efforts to take care of the woman while she was on the porch, including providing her water, which she began to refuse, and yogurt and ice cream, the "only foods she would accept."

Engberg told police that he would wipe the woman down to keep her clean and would also use the garden hose to rinse her off. According to the complaint, Engberg told police that the woman "expressed relief when he did this and thanked him." Police believed that the woman had been outside on the porch "for approximately 1 to 2 weeks."

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In the complaint, police wrote that the paramedics who initially responded to the scene believed that Engberg was not "capable of caring for himself, much less another person," and "believed his level of cognitive function was low." While being questioned by police, a sergeant said he "did not feel comfortable that Engberg understood his rights."

Police wrote in the complaint that while Engberg may not have meant to harm the woman, it was clear that she had allegedly been living in extreme neglect. Engberg was charged with recklessly subjecting an individual at risk to abuse causing death.

During a court appearance on Monday, which was covered by local Fox affiliate WLUK, a judge ordered that Engberg undergo a competency exam. A hearing to discuss those findings was scheduled for Oct. 29. Engberg remains in custody at the Door County Jail.