Mother's 'skin was peeling from her body' after severe neglect from daughters: Police

Inset, left to right: Alicia Bureau and Chereia McKinley (East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office). Background: The area in Louisiana where Bureau and McKinley allegedly neglected their mother (Google Maps).

Two sisters in Louisiana were arrested last week for allegedly neglecting their infirm mother to such a degree that the 64-year-old woman's skin was said to be "peeling" away from her body.

Alicia Bureau, 42, and Chereia McKinley, 39, both of Baton Rouge, were taken into custody on Thursday and charged with one count each of cruelty to the elderly or infirmed, court records show.

The investigation into the sisters began on Wednesday, Jan. 14, when one of them called 911 and told the emergency dispatcher that they needed medical assistance for their mother at the residence they all shared on Bellhaven Trace Drive, according to a report from local ABC affiliate WBRZ.

Upon arriving at the address, first responders located the victim inside the home and reportedly described her as having "obvious injuries" which authorities said were "evidence of neglect." Additionally, police said the victim was "unable to move, feed herself, change herself, or bathe herself."

Emergency medical personnel determined that additional medical care was necessary and transported the victim, who has not been identified, to Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center, about 5 miles south of the victim's home.

At the hospital, medical personnel discovered that the victim was "extremely dehydrated" and had suffered numerous severe injuries from neglect. The victim had visible open sores covering her neck, body, and legs, local Fox affiliate WGMB reported.

"Additionally, the victim's skin was peeling from her body," WBRZ reported, citing a probable cause affidavit from police.

The hospital staff also informed police that the victim "was wearing an undergarment that had not been changed in days and was full of excrement."

"Medical personnel feared that if the victim was left alone for an additional day, she would die," the affidavit reportedly said.

Bureau and McKinley were both booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on Jan. 15, where they were being held without bond as of Tuesday afternoon, records show.