A Florida man accused of a brutal attack on a nurse, reporting that he has broken almost every bone in her face, is now faced with improving hate crime on his prosecution, the Cabinet of the Palm County Sheriff reported on Thursday Beach.
33-year-old Stephen Scandlebury was originally charged earlier this week in the second-degree murder attempt of Palms West’s unnamed nurse, appointed to his care, according to a penalty complaint received by HuffPost. 67 -year -old nurse survived the attack, but authorities say he is likely to lose use of both eyes.
A witness whose connection to Scloattles was unknown, told police that he had acted paranoid in the days leading to the attack, “blaming people in his life for events with which he has nothing to do,” according to the complaint.
Scantlebury is reported to have been admitted to the hospital under the Florida Baker Act, which allows families to treat a loved one during an emergency mental health crisis, calling on the authorities to arrest them involuntarily at a hospital for evaluation.
However, the Palms West Hospital is not a barrier to get a Baker, which made the victim’s daughter question why the man was placed there.
The hospital’s mother company, HCA Florida, told Huffpost in an email that it could not discuss specific cases due to patient confidentiality laws.
However, the company said that if “the patient comes to the hospital for medical condition (ie flu, broken bone, chest pain) and begins to show signs or certain behavior, a mental health assessment is carried out to determine Whether the patient qualifies for a Baker act. “
A nurse at Palms West Hospital was brutally attacked by a patient this week. 33-year-old Stephen Scandlebury faces a second-degree murder attempt. Google Maps
Numerous witnesses told police that on Tuesday, Sportlebury jumped at the nurse and began to attack her when she entered the room, according to the complaint. One of the witnesses is running out of the room to call the hospital’s security, but when help arrives, Scantlebury is said to be still on top of his victim, hitting her with a fist.
Detectives told a NBC WPTV branch that Scantlebury made comments on the victim’s ethnicity during the attack, which led to an improvement in hatred crime.
Skalatbury stopped his attack and fled after a witness called to him, police said in the complaint. He managed to escape from the hospital and encountered the movement where he was removed from the sheriff’s department.
A public defender appointed to Skalatbury’s defense did not respond as soon as he was reached by Huffpost. On Thursday, his court ordered him to have a psychiatric evaluation.
Due to the severity of the nurse’s injuries, she was transferred to another hospital in critical condition, according to the complaint. The medical staff said that “essentially every bone” in her face is broken and she will probably lose the use of her two eyes.
“The attack on our nursing colleague happened within seconds and witnessed many people who came to cooperate,” HCA Florida says in her statement to Huffpost.
The company also said: “Our main concern is for our beloved colleague and we pray for her recovery,” adding that “provides support to the staff of our hospital, which are understandably shaken by this incident.”
The daughter of the victim, who herself is a doctor and asked to be identified only as Cindy, told WPBF that she was surprised by her mother’s injury, saying that the security “could intervene earlier.”
“It has numerous fractures of orbit, subarachnoid and subdural bleeding in the brain, clavicle fracture, swollen eyes, bruises on the eyes and face,” she said at the outcome of her mother’s condition. “It seems more than just one blow – it was a few strokes. It was quite intense. “
The daughter asked how Scantlebury was able to escape from the facility.
“This man was on the third floor. He escaped from the hospital. He was on the road! Like, where was the security in all this? “She asked.
Her mother is scheduled for several operations.