Warren Man Charged After Death Of 400-Pound Wife

WARREN (WWJ/AP) - The husband of a 400-pound Warren woman has been charged with abuse after her recent death.

Authorities are accusing Michael Brooks of ignoring Yolanda Reese-Brooks and allowing her to wither away in a bed surrounded by maggots and her own waste. The 40-year-old mother of four died of morbid obesity and other injuries last week.

The prosecutor's office said Brooks was his wife's primary caretaker after she sustained a crushed pelvis and ruptured bladder in a 2011 auto wreck.

Wearing protective gear, emergency crews had to knock down a wall to extract Reese-Brooks from the 12 Mile Road apartment.

Brooks is charged with second-degree abuse of a vulnerable adult. Prosecutor Eric Smith said Brooks' conduct was "shameful." Four children, including twin toddlers, are now are living with a relative.

It's unknown if Brooks has a lawyer. He doesn't have a listed phone.

Authorities had initially reported Reese-Brooks' weight at 500 pounds, but that turned out to be an over-estimation.

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