ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police have shut down an unlicensed personal care home and arrested its operator after discovering 10 elderly residents living in overcrowded and unsafe conditions, including a backyard shed converted into a sleeping area without running water or plumbing, according to multiple reports from Atlanta-area news outlets.
Deborah Callaway, 58, was arrested on March 11, 2026, after police executed a search warrant at the residence on Worthington Hills Drive, as reported by Atlanta News First. She faces two counts of elder exploitation, two counts of elder trafficking, one count of financial transaction card fraud, one count of theft by taking, and one count of third-degree forgery, according to Roswell police.
The investigation began in early January 2026 when an elderly man was reported missing from the address, according to police. The man was eventually located unharmed at an Atlanta shelter, but the missing person inquiry prompted detectives to look more closely at the home's operations. What they found, according to investigators, was that Callaway had been running the residence as a senior care facility without the state licensing required under Georgia law to operate such a home.
When police conducted their search, they found 10 senior residents living alongside Callaway inside the home, according to Atlanta News First. Many of the elderly adults were housed two or three to a room in spaces that had been converted from living rooms, dining rooms, and other common areas into makeshift bedrooms. Investigators also discovered that a shed in the backyard had been repurposed as a sleeping space.
"Without access to running water, plumbing, bathrooms — things that are necessary for a room of that nature," Roswell Police Department Spokesperson Tim Lupo said of the shed, as quoted by Atlanta News First.
Detectives also uncovered evidence suggesting Callaway had been misappropriating the financial resources and benefits of multiple residents for her personal gain, according to Lupo.
"Our detectives did uncover evidence indicating that Ms. Callaway was exploiting the financial resources and benefits of many in the home for her own personal gain," Lupo told reporters.
Authorities reported that Callaway was uncooperative throughout the investigation, repeatedly blocking detectives from entering the home or speaking with the residents inside. At the time of her arrest, all remaining residents received immediate medical evaluations before being relocated to safer housing, according to police.
Roswell Police Chief James Conroy characterized the operation as a major protective effort that evolved from a routine call.
"What began as a routine missing person call evolved into a major protective operation, fundamentally improving the lives of 10 vulnerable adults because our officers refused to ignore the red flags they saw on scene," Conroy said in a statement reported by Atlanta News First.
The scale of the law enforcement response drew attention throughout the neighborhood. Fred Stoddard, a contractor working across the street, told Atlanta News First that he arrived on the day of the arrest to find a massive police presence, estimating 20 to 30 officers along with multiple ambulances and agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on scene.
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, approximately 10 agencies assisted in the operation and the relocation of residents, including the GBI, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office, Adult Protective Services, the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division, Wellstar North Fulton Hospital Outreach, Hope 4 Haven House Foundation, and Jewish Family & Career Services.
Unlicensed Facility Operations in Georgia
Because the Worthington Hills Drive residence was operating without state licensing, there is no formal CMS inspection history or federal quality rating available for this facility. Under Georgia law, personal care homes must obtain a license from the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division before housing and providing care to residents. Licensed facilities in the state are subject to regular inspections, complaint investigations, and must meet minimum standards for staffing, room dimensions, safety, and resident rights.
Unlicensed operations like the one authorities describe at this address bypass all of these regulatory safeguards, leaving residents without the protections that licensed facilities are required to provide. According to the Georgia Department of Community Health, operating a personal care home without proper licensure is a violation of state law and can result in criminal prosecution in addition to immediate closure.
The case highlights a broader concern within elder care enforcement: unlicensed facilities can be difficult for regulators to detect because they operate outside the system entirely. They often come to light only when a separate incident — such as the missing person report that initiated this investigation — draws law enforcement attention.
Charges and Legal Proceedings
Callaway was booked into the Fulton County Jail following her arrest, according to reports from WSB-TV and Fox 5 Atlanta. The combination of elder exploitation and elder trafficking charges suggests prosecutors believe the operation involved both financial abuse and the harboring of vulnerable adults under coercive or deceptive conditions. Financial transaction card fraud and forgery charges indicate investigators found evidence of identity-related financial crimes in addition to the exploitation allegations.
Georgia's elder exploitation statute covers the unauthorized taking or misuse of funds, assets, or resources belonging to a person aged 65 or older or a disabled adult. Elder trafficking charges, which are less commonly filed, address situations where vulnerable adults are subjected to labor or services through force, fraud, or coercion.
Resources for Families
Families who suspect a loved one may be living in an unlicensed care facility or experiencing abuse or neglect should contact their local Adult Protective Services office or law enforcement immediately. The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center can be reached at 1-800-677-1116 and provides assistance with complaints and concerns about long-term care facilities, including guidance on how to verify whether a home is properly licensed in your state.
Additional information about resident rights, facility licensing verification, and how to file complaints is available through the Ombudsman program's website at [ltcombudsman.org](https://ltcombudsman.org). In Georgia, the Healthcare Facility Regulation Division maintains a searchable database of licensed personal care homes that families can use to confirm a facility's status before placing a loved one in care.
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