Charges Dropped Against Man Who Took Woman From Newton Nursing Home

Prosecutors have dropped charges against a man who in May took a friend from a long-term care facility in Massachusetts.

Authorities originally said 55-year-old David Collignon, of Middleburg, Florida, removed Beth Birnbaum from the Newton facility without authority and charged him with permitting abuse on an elderly person.

The 63-year-old Birnbaum was in the facility after suffering a stroke.

The Boston Globe reports that in a legal filing late last month, prosecutors said Birnbaum told investigators that she asked Collignon to take her from the nursing home and did not wish to pursue criminal charges.

Collignon's lawyer, Michael Chinman, said his client was only trying to help Birnbaum and is relieved that the prosecution has ended.

The attorney says Collignon and Birnbaum have known each other for decades and once dated.

Birnbaum is now being treated at another facility in Massachusetts, Chinman told the Globe.