73-year-old grandfather dies after attack by hospital roommate, California cops say
A 73-year-old grandfather has died following a bloody beating by his hospital roommate 10 days earlier in Long Beach, California, KCBS reports.
Francisco Sanchez-Reyes of Long Beach died Sunday of injuries from the 12:30 p.m. attack on Jan. 31 at College Medical Center, KTLA reported. He had been moved to another hospital following the beating.
Police arrested Reginald Daniel Panthier, 37, who had been the beaten man’s roommate at the time of the attack, a Long Beach Police Department release says.
Panthier initially faced charges including assault with a deadly weapon that is not a firearm and great bodily harm against an elder, police wrote. Those charges will now be upgraded.
On a GoFundMe account set up to help cover medical and funeral expenses, Ramon Sanchez said his father had initially checked into the hospital for a urinary tract infection and was due to go home shortly at the time of the attack.
“We still don’t know, to this day, what was the reason for this individual to beat up my father,” Ramon Sanchez wrote.
He said a nurse, hearing the commotion, found his father bleeding to death on the floor and doctors later said he had bleeding on the brain.
The GoFundMe page had raised nearly $6,000 toward a $27,000 goal by Tuesday.
“He was my first teacher, coach, and mentor, he came here from Mexico to give us more opportunity and a better life,” said Ramon Sanchez, KTTV reported. “He was the one that taught me about work ethic, respect and being a good human being. Love for God and to get along with others.”
Sanchez-Reyes was a father to eight and grandfather to 24, The Long Beach Press-Telegram reported.
“He’s kind of like a self-made man, working hard providing for the family and taking care of the family,” Ramon Sanchez said, according to the publication. “He’s very charismatic, if you meet him on the streets he makes a friend with everyone.”
This story was originally published February 11, 2020 at 10:21 AM with the headline "73-year-old grandfather dies after attack by hospital roommate, California cops say."