Norristown (Pa.) State Hospital was cited by the state after one of its patients was found dead in his room, allegedly having been killed by his roommate, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sept. 10.
Jacob Gonzalez was being treated at the hospital ahead of a court date. He had struggled with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. His roommate, Kyle Samuels-Robey, struggled with the same conditions. Mr. Gonzalez was last seen alive around 6:30 p.m. on July 14. Norristown staff signed paperwork indicating they had checked in every room every 15 minutes, but video surveillance showed only one staffer looked into their room around 9:24 p.m., according to the report.
Around 9:30 p.m., Mr. Samuels-Robey, walked to the nurses' station and asked for ice for his swollen hand. He said he had "choked out" his roommate. Mr. Gonzalez was found unresponsive on his bed and he was not revived, the report said.
Mr. Samuels-Robey is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with Mr. Gonzalez's death.
Pennsylvania Department of Health inspectors investigated the death and found the hospital in immediate jeopardy.
Norristown suspended four workers in response to the incident and retrained the entire staff on medical emergency response. The Department of Human Services, which runs the facility, told Becker's it implemented a plan of correction based on the inspection and is monitoring to ensure the plan is being followed.
"DHS takes reports and complaints about the safety of individuals in licensed facilities seriously, and we work to ensure that any allegations and potential violations that put people at risk are investigated and handled urgently," Brandon Cwalina, a agency spokesperson, told Becker's.
Read the full report here.