Judge grants bond for former Colonial Heights Nursing Director charged with felony abuse

COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. (WRIC) -- On Monday, Dec. 30, a Colonial Heights judge granted Kamesha Kittrell bond. She's one of 18 suspects named in connection to the death of a local nursing home resident. Many of those arrests were made at Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center last Wednesday, Dec. 18. While Kamesha Kittrell has not been an employee at the facility for months, she turned herself in later after hearing about the warrant out for her arrest. The Colonial Heights courtroom learned a great deal about Kittrell on Monday -- she grew up in the absence of parents, earned her G.E.D. on her own and went into nursing. Now, the foster mother of four is facing felony charges of abuse. She is one of only four people charged with felony abuse and neglect resulting in death. Several other employees are facing lesser charges including falsifying records. A Colonial Heights judge granted her bond, but there's a long legal battle ahead. Attorneys agreed the facts of the case are "shocking and terrible." Back at the very end of October, an elderly patient died shortly after being discharged from Colonial Heights Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Last week, investigators named 18 suspects in connection to the death. While most of those accused are current employees, Kamesha Kittrell stopped working at the facility back in August. Therefore, her attorney suggested on Monday that his team has a lot of evidence that Kittrell was a manager caught in the middle of this incident, rather than a legitimate offender. Prosecutors, on the other hand, called her the "gatekeeper to prevent abuse." The Commonwealth said Kittrell's role as Director of Nursing during the time of the alleged abuse and neglect makes her responsible for the actions of her staff — even if she wasn't directly involved in patient care. Prosecutors cited an incident where the patient was "essentially poisoned" after nurses allegedly gave her the wrong medication. 8News was told the patient also had an injured foot and bed sores during her time at the facility. Monday's hearing wasn't about determining whether or not Kittrell is guilty, it was a bond hearing to see if she can await trial at home. Ultimately, the judge decided -- despite previous and unrelated "failures to appear in court" from 2009 and 2010 -- that Kittrell is not a flight risk. He expressed concern she could be a danger to the community, so he granted bond with conditions -- she cannot interact with other defendants and she cannot set foot on the facility's property or provide healthcare to anyone for the time being. 8News spoke briefly with Kittrell's loved ones who did not wish to go on-camera, but who shared hugs and tears of relief after the hearing. The family expressed immense gratitude, and one woman told 8News that Kittrell's family "thanked God" for this outcome. Things moved fairly quickly Monday, but, again, all of these related cases are in the very early stages. Defendants will appear in court again in March for their next hearing. Prosecutors suggested there are some graphic images prepared as evidence, so it's clear this will be a difficult and emotional case all around.