Search warrant granted for nursing home where 8 died

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. (AP) - A search warrant has been granted for a Florida nursing home where eight patients died days after Hurricane Irma.

Hollywood police said in a statement Thursday that state and local authorities are conducting a criminal investigation to determine what led to the patient deaths at The Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills.

They said detectives are on the scene, and their initial investigation determined the facility had some power but its air conditioning system wasn't fully functional.

Police said 145 people were evacuated to Memorial Regional Hospital on Wednesday: 141 from the nursing home and four from an adjacent behavioral health center. Memorial Regional Hospital treated 119 evacuees, and 39 have been admitted to the hospital and other hospitals nearby.

Gov. Rick Scott directed the Agency for Health Care Administration to issue an emergency moratorium on the facility. City spokeswoman Raelin Storey said the moratorium prevents the center from housing any patients.