82-year-old COVID-19 patient beaten to death at hospital in Lancaster, deputies say

Rapid rise in COVID-19 cases hitting SoCal hospitals

LANCASTER, Calif. - An 82-year-old man was beaten to death inside the Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, according to deputies.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded to a call from the hospital on Thursday, December 17 around 9:45 a.m.

Deputies say the elderly man was getting treatment from the hospital for COVID-19 symptoms and was staying in a 2-person room with the assault suspect, 37-year-old Jesse Martinez. According to LASD, Martinez became upset when the 82-year-old patient started praying.

The suspect then hit the elderly man with an oxygen tank, ultimately killing him, LASD said.

Martinez is being charged with murder, hate crime enhancement and elder abuse, LASD said. He is being held on a $1,000,000 bail, LASD said.

The man and the suspect did not know each other prior to staying at the hospital, LASD said.

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