Man allegedly abandons 400 lb wife to die in her home

WARREN, Michigan (AP) — The husband of a 400-pound (180-kilogram) U.S. woman has been charged with abuse after her recent death.

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

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

Brooks is charged with second-degree abuse of a vulnerable adult. Prosecutor Eric Smith says Brooks’ conduct was “shameful.” Reese-Brooks’ four children now are living with a relative.

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