By Tony Keith
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A group of people who have dedicated their careers to helping people are now suspects in the death of a 90-year-old woman.
On Feb. 3, police were called to the Union Printers Home at 101 S. Union Boulevard after the body of Margarita Sam was found on a bench outside on the long-term care facility’s property. Following an autopsy, the El Paso County Coroner’s Office determined that the victim had died of hypothermia.
“Ms. Sam wandered outside the facility and became exposed to temperatures in the range of 23-30 degrees Fahrenheit,” police wrote in a news release on Thursday. “Following an investigation by CSPD and the Colorado Medicaid Fraud Control Unit in the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, the decision was made to file criminal charges against three employees of the Union Printers Home long-term care facility related to Ms. Sam’s death.”
SUSPECTS IN THE CASE:
-Nurse Rosalie Warren, 52 years of age, was charged with Negligent Death of an At-risk Person, Colorado Statute 18-6.5-103(2)(a), a Class 4 Felony, and Neglect of an At-Risk person, Colorado Statute 18-6.5-103(6)(a), a class 1 misdemeanor.
-Certified Nursing Assistant Asia Murray, 35 years of age, was charged with Neglect of an At-Risk person, Colorado Statute 18-6.5-103(6)(a), a class 1 misdemeanor.
-Certified Nursing Assistant Taquenis Eldridge, 31 years of age, was charged with Neglect of an At-Risk person, Colorado Statute 18-6.5-103(6)(a), a class 1 misdemeanor.
All suspects, in this case, have been served summonses and await upcoming court dates.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment sent the following statement to 11 News on Feb. 12:
“The
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued a summary
suspension to the Union Printers assisted living and nursing facility on
February 11, 2020. This action suspends the facility’s license and
begins the process of safely transferring residents to other facilities,
effective immediately. There have been numerous complaints and
subsequent investigations at this facility in the past few years, most
notably after a recent resident death. Findings from those
investigations demonstrate that Union Printers does not have the ability
to provide consistently safe care to its residents. For more
information about those findings, please visit the department’s website -
www.healthfacilities.info.
Beginning today, the department will work with sister agencies to
inform the residents, and begin safe transfers to other facilities. The
department expects that process to take approximately 45 days. To ensure
that all residents receive satisfactory care and services during this
time, a management company has been hired. This management company will
run the daily operations of Union Printers, with increased supervision
from the department. In closing, the department has acted swiftly and
decisively to close Union Printer’s home to protect the welfare of its
residents and will remain involved until all residents have safe
placement at another health care facility.”
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