73-Year Old Man Dies After Hospital Roommate Beats Him To Death, Family Seeks Justice
A 73-year old man who was admitted to the hospital due to a urinary tract infection has died after allegedly been beaten by his roommate who was also a patient, according to prosecutors.
The family said the hospital staff wanted to run tests to rule out ulcers and kept Sanchez-Reyes overnight but unfortunately he didn’t make it out alive after an assault.
The suspect, a Long Beach-area transient, assaulted Francisco Sanchez-Reyes of Long Beach at College Medical Center on Jan. 31. Sanchez-Reyes suffered major injuries to his upper torso and died nine days later, Long Beach police said.
Los Angeles Times reports:
Reginald Daniel Panthier was charged Thursday with one felony count each of murder, elder abuse resulting in death, elder abuse with infliction of injury and assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Panthier was arrested the day of the attack. He remains in custody with bail set at $1.075 million, jail records show.
If convicted, he faces a maximum of 50 years to life in prison, prosecutors said.
Earlier this week, College Medical Center characterized the attack as “a tragic and unforeseeable incident” and said the hospital “is fully cooperating with law enforcement in regards to the criminal investigation and prosecution of the assailant for this random act of violence.”
“The safety and well-being of our patients, along [with] the provision of superior care, remain our highest priority,” the hospital said in a statement Tuesday. “College Medical Center’s deepest sympathies are with the family and friends of the deceased.”
The family has set up a GoFundMe page, seeking help with funeral cost. Rest in peace, Francisco.
Sanchez-Reyes had eight children, 24 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren, his son Ramon Sanchez said Monday, adding that his father had come to Southern California from Mexico to give his family a better life.
Here’s more from CBS Los Angeles:
