Hollywood nursing home deaths in sweltering heat after hurricane portrayed as a tragedy and a crime – Sun Sentinel

Lawyers in a Fort Lauderdale courtroom started sparring Monday over whether or not a number of overheating deaths at a Hollywood nursing home in the times after Hurricane Irma had been the results of a mere tragedy or a felony act of reckless disregard for human life and security.

At stake is the liberty of Jorge Carballo, 65, a prime administrator of the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills, which misplaced energy to its air-con system when the Category 2 storm ripped by way of Broward in September 2017. In the times that adopted, temperatures soared contained in the 150-bed, two-story facility, and a dozen aged sufferers succumbed to the consequences of the heat.

Four nursing home staff, together with Carballo, had been finally charged with manslaughter. Charges towards three of the workers had been dropped final 12 months, and these staff are actually listed as potential witnesses towards Carballo, who’s charged in 9 of the nursing home deaths.

[ RELATED: Charges dropped against three in Hollywood nursing home manslaughter case ]

Prosecutor Chris Killoran instructed jurors Monday that Carballo, greater than anybody else, had the facility and authority to save lots of lives.

“This is a case of a captain who abandoned his slowly sinking ship, and left not only his crew but the passengers to fend for themselves,” Killoran stated. As temperatures rose inside the middle, Carballo “basically did nothing,” he stated.

Carballo faces as much as 15 years in jail on every rely if convicted.

Defense lawyer James Cobb stated Carballo did the whole lot he may to alleviate the struggling of the sufferers, ordering drugs, meals and provides earlier than the storm and followers afterward. He blamed Florida Power & Light for the failure to revive energy in the aftermath of the storm. Because he’s not a medical skilled, Carballo lacked the authorized authority to switch the sufferers to a different facility instantly throughout the road, Cobb stated.

He referred to as Carballo a “scapegoat,” taking the blame for the deaths due to the strain to carry somebody accountable for what occurred.

The nursing home in the end misplaced its license and has since shut down.

The victims, ranging in age from 57 to 99, had physique temperatures of as much as 108 levels, paramedics have reported.

The deaths started three days after Irma knocked out a transformer that powered the cooling system. Otherwise, the ability by no means misplaced energy.

The trial, earlier than Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy, is predicted to final 4 weeks.

Information from the Associated Press was used to complement this report.

Rafael Olmeda might be reached at [email protected] or 954-356-4457. Follow him on Twitter @rolmeda.