Man arrested, accused of repeatedly assaulting deaf woman at a group home

ROCKVILLE, Md. (WJLA) -- It's supposed to be a safe place for adults that are hard of hearing, but a group home served as the backdrop of a longstanding abuse case, police say.

David Robertson, 41, is accused of physically assaulting a deaf woman at the group home he was hired to manage along the 5300 block of Baffin Bay Lane. Investigators say the abuse spanned the course of two years.

In one case, Robertson allegedly shoved the hearing impaired woman down a flight of stairs because she did not do her laundry. In another instance, Robertson is said to have pushed the same woman onto the ground before kicking her. That disabled woman suffered injuries to her leg, chest and forehead.

"That's appalling and very clearly abuse. It's unacceptable," said Elbereth Chahalis, a mother and nanny who works across the street. "The people who are working with the mentally ill or physically challenged are supposed to be able to handle those types of situations better than the rest of us."

Police say a number of employees witnessed Robertson's routine abuse, but waited until he was on vacation to report it because they too were afraid of his anger.

"It could be frustration from going over things so many blasted times and if you can't communicate effectively with the other party, you might just snap," said Martin Brodey who lives next door to the group home.

Police have charged Robertson with Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult. He's since bonded out of jail and is now living in Glen Burnie while awaiting trial.