A coronavirus patient allegedly beat his 82-year-old hospital roommate to death with an oxygen tank in California last week because he was upset with his Catholic prayers, according to authorities.
California COVID-19 Patient Allegedly Kills Praying Hospital Roommate With Oxygen Tank
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Facing space and staffing shortages, hospitals in California have been placed in a situation that is becoming increasingly dire. In fact, the Golden State on Wednesday became the first US state to reach the grim milestone of 2 million COVID-19 cases since the onset of the pandemic.
Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recently announced that an 82-year-old man being treated for the novel coronavirus was fatally beaten by a fellow COVID-19 patient last week.
In a Wednesday-released advisory, the department identified the suspect as 37-year-old Jesse Martinez, and said that the attack took place on December 17 at approximately 9:45 a.m. local time.
California man accused of murdering fellow Covid patient with oxygen tank
Jesse Martinez became aggravated when the elderly man sharing his hospital room started praying, according to detectives
The murder occurred in a hospital room in southern California
Credit: Mario Tama /Getty
A Californian man accused of using an oxygen tank to bludgeon a fellow Covid patient to death in his hospital bed last week has been charged with murder, a hate crime and elder abuse.
Jesse Martinez, 37, became aggravated when the 82-year-old man sharing his hospital room started praying, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff s Department.
Detectives said Mr Martinez then grabbed an oxygen tank and used it to beat the elderly patient.