Police: Care Center's 'Suspicious Death'

Two nurses aides were arrested from the Tarrytown Hall Care Center last week, following many months of investigation into their possible involvement in what the medical examiner deemed a "suspicious death."

More information on the case is revealed in the police blotters both recent and dating back to February when the fatal accident occurred. 

Lieutenant William Herguth said the Tarrytown Police were initially responded at 12:10 pm to a call at the Center for an elderly injured woman. She was then taken to Westchester County Medical Center by the Tarrytown Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The elderly woman died there and the case was referred to the Medical Examiner.

“Their office notified this department of a suspicious death,” said Herguth. The nursing home in turn notified the Attorney Generals Office, who worked, said Herguth “in conjunction” with this police department on the case. “They drew up charges and arrested the defendants.”

For more on the Attorney General's findings in the case click here.

On Oct. 24 at 9:06 a.m. Investigator Connolly from the office of the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit came into headquarters with one of the nurses aides arrested from the Tarryhall Care Center. Maureen Flowers, 53, of the Bronx, was placed in a holding cell while waiting her arraignment on charges of failure to provide care to a vulnerable elderly person. Flowers was fingerprinted, processed, arraigned and released with a return court date of Nov. 7 at 9 a.m.

Later that day at 11:06 a.m., the same investigator returned with a second nurses aide from the center. Donna Pagan, 36, of Peekskill was also placed in a holding cell on charges of falsifying business records and was printed, processed, arraigned with a court date of Nov. 21 at 9 a.m.

The Attorney General reported finding that Flowers had accidentally dropped the elderly woman while trying to operate a mechanical lift to get her from bed to wheelchair. She then allegedly coerced Pagan to falsify documents saying that both women had been there for the transport as is required. 

The elderly woman's fall caused fractures to her spine and right leg, a broken nose and bruising to her face. She died two hours later at the hospital.

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