A Texas memory care worker faces four first-degree felony aggravated sexual assault charges after police allege he sexually assaulted a 67-year-old woman with dementia at two Rockwall care facilities.
Rockwall Police arrested Zachary Daylon Yoakum, 24, on August 15, 2026. According to police and an arrest affidavit cited by local news outlets, Yoakum worked at Village Green Memory Care Community Center, where the woman was a resident and was reportedly assigned to his care.
Authorities allege three sexual encounters occurred at Village Green. Investigators say another occurred after the woman transferred to Rock Ridge Assisted Living & Memory Care.
The allegations raise serious questions about the protection of adults with dementia and other cognitive disabilities who depend on caregivers and residential facilities for their safety.
Key Takeaways
- Zachary Daylon Yoakum, 24, faces four counts of aggravated sexual assault.
- The alleged victim is a 67-year-old woman who had recently been diagnosed with dementia.
- Yoakum reportedly worked at Village Green Memory Care Community Center in Rockwall, Texas, and was assigned to the woman’s care.
- Authorities allege three incidents occurred at Village Green.
- Police say Yoakum continued contacting the woman after she transferred to Rock Ridge Assisted Living & Memory Care, where another alleged encounter occurred.
- The woman’s daughter reportedly discovered communications between Yoakum and her mother and raised concerns.
- The investigation remains ongoing.
Who Is Zachary Daylon Yoakum?
Zachary Daylon Yoakum is a 24-year-old care worker who was employed at a Rockwall, Texas memory care facility.
According to an arrest affidavit reported by KRLD, the alleged victim had been hospitalized in July after experiencing psychosis and was subsequently diagnosed with dementia. She was later placed at Village Green Memory Care Community Center, where Yoakum worked and was assigned to her care.
Police allege Yoakum engaged in sexual activity with the woman four times between August 1 and August 10.
Three of the alleged encounters occurred at Village Green, according to reports. One alleged incident reportedly occurred in a public garden at a memory care facility.
Family Member’s Concerns Helped Trigger Investigation
The case reportedly came to light after the woman’s daughter discovered text messages and phone records involving her mother and Yoakum.
Police received a report from family members on August 13 concerning a suspected relationship between the two.
According to the arrest affidavit, the woman told investigators that Yoakum said he loved her and wanted to marry her. She also reportedly said Yoakum provided her with code words intended to conceal their relationship.
The woman reportedly told her daughter that she and Yoakum were not in a relationship.
These allegations are particularly concerning given the enormous imbalance of power between a professional caregiver and a patient living with dementia.
Alleged Conduct Continued After Patient Moved Facilities
The woman transferred from Village Green to Rock Ridge Assisted Living & Memory Care on August 10.
But according to investigators, Yoakum’s contact with her allegedly continued.
A Rock Ridge employee reportedly contacted the woman’s daughter the following day after a young man attempted to visit the resident.
According to published reports of the affidavit, the visitor was identified as Yoakum. The woman’s daughter asked that he be removed. He allegedly returned to the facility and was again asked to leave.
Police allege that one of the four sexual encounters occurred after the woman had already moved to Rock Ridge.
Yoakum Faces Four First-Degree Felony Charges
Rockwall Police arrested Yoakum on August 15 and charged him with four counts of aggravated sexual assault.
Under Texas law, aggravated sexual assault can constitute a first-degree felony when the alleged victim is elderly or disabled.
Published reports indicate Yoakum’s bond was set at $400,000.
The criminal investigation remains ongoing. Yoakum is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dementia Patients Are Particularly Vulnerable to Sexual Abuse
People living with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, intellectual disabilities, and other cognitive impairments can face heightened vulnerability to sexual abuse.
They may rely heavily on caregivers for bathing, dressing, medication, transportation, toileting, mobility, and other intimate aspects of daily life.
Cognitive impairment can also make it more difficult for a survivor to remember dates, describe events chronologically, recognize abusive behavior, or make a disclosure that others immediately understand.
Those challenges should never be mistaken for evidence that abuse did not occur.
They are precisely why facilities entrusted with caring for vulnerable adults must maintain strong hiring, supervision, reporting, and abuse-prevention systems.
Care Facilities Have a Responsibility to Protect Vulnerable Residents
Families place extraordinary trust in memory care and assisted living facilities.
When a family places a loved one with dementia into residential care, they are entrusting that facility with someone who may be unable to independently protect themselves.
Facilities should have safeguards designed to prevent employees from exploiting that vulnerability.
Those safeguards may include appropriate background checks, employee training, adequate supervision, clear professional boundaries, procedures for monitoring inappropriate employee-resident relationships, accessible reporting mechanisms, and immediate responses to suspected abuse.
When allegations of caregiver sexual abuse arise, the investigation should not end with the individual employee.
Important questions include:
- What policies governed contact between employees and residents?
- Was the employee appropriately screened before being hired?
- Were supervisors monitoring employee interactions with residents?
- Did other employees observe concerning behavior?
- Were there previous complaints or warning signs?
- Did the facility properly train employees about sexual abuse and professional boundaries?
- When did administrators first become aware of concerns?
- What action did the facility take once concerns arose?
These questions can be critical when determining whether institutional failures contributed to an alleged sexual assault.
Sexual Contact Between Caregivers and Cognitively Impaired Patients Raises Serious Concerns
Cases involving vulnerable adults are sometimes described publicly as involving a “relationship.”
That terminology can obscure the fundamental issue.
When a caregiver has professional authority over a person with dementia or another significant cognitive impairment, questions of capacity, consent, dependency, exploitation, and power cannot be ignored.
A caregiver’s responsibility is to protect the person entrusted to their care — not exploit access created by that position.
Could There Be Other Victims?
Whenever someone working in a caregiving position is accused of sexual abuse, investigators and the institution should determine whether other vulnerable people may have had contact with that individual.
Care workers can have access to numerous residents over the course of their employment.
That makes a complete investigation into an accused employee’s work history important.
Investigators may examine previous employers, facilities, shifts, resident assignments, complaints, disciplinary history, and other circumstances that could identify additional witnesses or potential victims.
Anyone with information concerning Zachary Daylon Yoakum’s employment or interactions with residents should consider contacting law enforcement.
What Families Should Do if They Suspect Abuse in a Memory Care Facility
Family members often know their loved one’s behavior better than anyone.
Unexplained behavioral changes, fear around a particular employee, injuries, sexually transmitted infections, unusual communications with staff members, sudden withdrawal, agitation, or changes in sleep and mood can warrant further attention.
Families should take concerns seriously even when a loved one has difficulty communicating because of dementia.
If you suspect sexual abuse, consider documenting your concerns, preserving messages or other potential evidence, reporting suspected abuse to appropriate authorities, and seeking medical attention when necessary.
Families may also wish to speak with an attorney experienced in sexual abuse cases involving vulnerable adults to understand their civil legal options.
Speaking With a Sexual Abuse Lawyer About Your Rights
Sexual abuse involving an elderly or cognitively impaired person can have devastating consequences for survivors and their families.
When the alleged perpetrator gained access to a victim through employment at a care facility, there may also be questions about whether an institution failed in its responsibility to protect residents.
Andreozzi + Foote represents survivors of sexual abuse and families across the country, including cases involving caregivers, healthcare professionals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, residential programs, and other institutions responsible for protecting vulnerable people.
If you or a loved one experienced sexual abuse by a caregiver, or if you have information about Zachary Daylon Yoakum that may help identify additional victims or witnesses, contact Andreozzi + Foote for a confidential consultation at (866) 858-3790 or info@vca.law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Zachary Daylon Yoakum?
Zachary Daylon Yoakum is a 24-year-old Texas memory care worker who was arrested in August 2026 and charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault involving a 67-year-old woman with dementia.
Where did Zachary Yoakum work?
Published reports state Yoakum worked at Village Green Memory Care Community Center in Rockwall, Texas, and was assigned to the alleged victim’s care.
What is Zachary Yoakum accused of doing?
Police allege Yoakum engaged in sexual activity with the 67-year-old dementia patient four times. Authorities allege three incidents occurred at Village Green Memory Care Community Center and another occurred after the woman transferred to Rock Ridge Assisted Living & Memory Care.
How was the alleged abuse discovered?
According to published reports, the woman’s daughter discovered text messages and phone records involving Yoakum and her mother and became concerned. Family members subsequently contacted police.
Has Zachary Yoakum been convicted?
No. Yoakum has been charged with four counts of aggravated sexual assault. The criminal investigation remains ongoing, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Can a care facility be held responsible for sexual abuse committed by an employee?
Potentially. Civil liability depends on the facts of each case. Investigations may examine hiring and screening practices, supervision, prior complaints, employee training, facility policies, warning signs, and how administrators responded to suspected misconduct.
What should families do if they suspect sexual abuse of a person with dementia?
Families should take concerns seriously, preserve potential evidence, seek appropriate medical care, and report suspected abuse to the proper authorities. They may also want to speak with an attorney experienced in sexual abuse cases involving vulnerable adults.
Photo courtesy of Rockwall Police Department
