A 73-year-old man died after being severely beaten at a Long Beach hospital by a fellow patient, with whom he shared a room, police announced Monday.
Francisco Sanchez-Reyes, of Long Beach, succumbed to his injuries Sunday after being beaten on Jan. 31, according to the Long Beach Police Department. He sustained major injuries to his upper torso.
Reginald Daniel Panthier, 37, of Long Beach, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon that is not a firearm, and producing great bodily harm against an elder, but detectives will discuss amending charges with the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office now that Sanchez-Reyes has died, according to police.
Panthier is scheduled to appear at the Long Beach Superior Court on Thursday.
Ramon Sanchez, the victim's son, said that his father had gone to College Medical Center in Long Beach to treat a urinary tract infection when doctors decided to keep him overnight, to make sure that he did not have an ulcer causing his abdominal pain.
When the victim's daughter called to check on her father the next day, staff at the hospital said he had been rushed to Memorial Medical Center in Long Beach, Ramon Sanchez said.
The father of eight fell into a coma after the beating and doctors said he could not be saved due to excessive bleeding in the brain, so the family decided to take him off the ventilator Sunday, Ramon Sanchez said.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
Along with the eight children, Francisco Sanchez leaves behind 24 grandchildren and eight great grand children, the family said.
