Attorneys for 99-year-old attacked inside Milwaukee home with no emergency response for hours want answers

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Attorneys for a 99-year-old woman attacked inside her Milwaukee home are demanding transparency from city officials. Despite numerous 911 calls from the victim, first responders were not sent to help for hours. 

CBS 58

Back in July, a third-party medical alert company contacted Milwaukee's Department of Emergency Communications twice for reports of physical harm to a woman identified only as "Shirley."  

“Shut the (expletive) up. I’m about to beat the (expletive) out of you," a man, now identified as 23-year-old Joseph Macias, can be heard saying in the 911 call. 

“The second call, literally hearing live from the victim in real time, being attacked," said Shirley's attorney, Chris MacGillis.

Macias is now facing three felony charges. He's currently being evaluated by doctors after his defense entered a not guilty plea because of insanity. 

The department didn't send a first responder until Shirley called 911 herself, nearly three hours later.

“I’ve been attacked. I need help," Shirley is heard saying in the 911 call. 

Shirley's attorneys shared photos of her injuries from the attack at a news conference Wednesday, Sept. 2. They showed bloody injuries to her limbs, including large cuts and extensive bruising. 

“Over 100 stitches, facial fractures, blunt force trauma, severe lacerations," said MacGillis. 

*Warning: Second image below may be disturbing to some viewers*

At the news conference, Shirley's attorney said a lawsuit has not been filed but he wants answers as to why help wasn't sent after the first two calls. 

“Our client, literally army crawled, having to safe her own life. Battered on the ground, crawled to her phone in her own home," said MacGillis. “That is unacceptable.”

Two people resigned from the Department of Emergency Communications following this incident.

“We don’t have a complete picture from the city," said MacGillis. 

Last week, the Department of Emergency Communications said staff are receiving trainings to make sure this doesn't happen again, but details about those trainings and the investigation are still unknown. 

“How are we in this type of position with the available technology, the available resources, how can something like this happen?" asked MacGillis. “We, as a community, have to make sure that we do better. Our leaders have to make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else.”

Shirley is currently going through rehab, trying to gain some of her mobility back.