While a Snellville caretaker faces charges of stealing from her mentally disabled adult clients, state workers say they noticed signs of abuse months ago. 

A hearing was held for Seema Vijayi in Lawrenceville Thursday, and bond was set for $120,000. 

Several family members of possible victims in the case attended the hearing, as well as some workers who visited Vijayi's personal care homes. 

"Many of the homes we went into of Ms. Vijayi's, there was no food or there was improper food," Stacey Miley, volunteer for the state ombudsman, tells Channel 2 Action News. "They would say that she was taking money from them, she was stealing their cell phones." 

Workers say they told the state about the complaints months ago, but nothing was done about it until last week. 

But state officials say they have been working on this case since October. 

"Part of Det. Appleby's investigation involved allegations of residents being forced to work and residents being withheld their ID's and EBT food stamp cards," says Gwinnett Co. Det. James Flanagan. 

Vijayi's attorney says she is innocent of all charges against her.