Matthew Cuda
/ Courtesy State Department of Justice
UTICA -- The Utica Police Department says they were contacted by the Cooperstown Police Department, regarding an injured elderly female on Wednesday.
Utica Police were notified of a report from the Bassett Medical Center of an elderly female who sustained several facial injuries. Bassett Medical Center was reportedly concerned about how she received the injuries.
An investigator with the Utica Police Department, along with an Elder Abuse Coordinator from the Office of the Aging, Kristen Palmer, learned though their investigation that the woman’s relative drove her from Utica to Cooperstown for treatment of her injuries.
According to police, the relative, 51-year-old Matthew Cuda of Utica, told the hospital staff and police that the victim fell off of the couch; however, investigators found her injuries were inconsistent with the story.
After interviewing the victim, investigators say they learned that the suspect pushed the victim to the ground and repeatedly slammed her head on the floor.
Cuda was returned from Cooperstown and charged with second degree assault.
According to the State Department of Justice, Cuda is a level 2 sex offender.
