Police: NJ nursing home director caught on video beating elderly man

🚨 NJ nursing home director accused of broom assault on elderly man
📹 Cops cite graphic video, cover-up attempt and witness tampering
⚠️ Crystal Lake facility under fire for mutiple abuse violations

BERKELEY — The director of an Ocean County nursing home has been accused of brutally beating an elderly resident with a broom, then trying to cover her tracks.

Patricia Linda-Ahono was arrested over the summer, after being indicted by a state grand jury of two counts of aggravated assault, neglect of an elderly or disabled adult, tampering with witnesses, assault on an institutionalized elderly person, and falsifying records.

The 59-year-old Irvington resident was arraigned on those charges on Monday.

Crystal Lake Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, in the Bayville area of Berkeley Township, has been under intense scrutiny by state officials, for several disturbing incidents and an overall lack of patient safety.

Prosecutors say nurse beat elderly man, then lied in reports

On June 24, 2023, a physical fight involved Lindo-Ahono and a resident at Crystal Lake Rehab center.

A different nurse recorded video of the incident, as it unfolded in a hallway on the 5th floor.

The video shows Lindo-Ahono using a broom to hit the victim as his left hand is visibly bleeding.

“Call [staff member, inaudible] before I kill this man,” Lindo-Ahono can be heard saying in the video, according to prosecutors.

Lindo-Ahono later filled out an incident report, claiming that it had happened four days earlier and that the victim had first tried to scratch her using a blue, disposable razor.

She said in the paperwork that she used the broom to swat the razor away.

The video does not show evidence of any type of weapon, and witnesses told police there was no such razor.

Lindo-Ahono also claimed in the report that police and emergency services were called and that the victim was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

However, witnesses again disagreed, saying that Lindo-Ahono told them not to call police and that the situation “had been handled.”

Another lie in the incident report was Lindo-Ahono saying she had notified the Department of Health, the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman, the Office of Public Guardian and a physician.

The state offices denied ever being notified.

Read More: NJ senior facility nurses charged after using pepper spray 

State probe uncovers witness tampering and pattern of abuse

After the video was released to the public, an investigation was launched by Berkeley Township Police and state officials.

On Dec. 21, 2024, police were speaking with the nursing home’s on-duty supervisor about the 2023 incident, when they heard part of an incoming call from Lindo-Ahono.

“You don’t remember anything, right,” police could hear Lindo-Ahono saying, over the phone.

“Residents of adult care facilities need to be treated with respect and dignity, and be safe,” state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said in a written release on Wednesday.

“Physically assaulting a resident is inexcusable, and we will not stand by and allow such conduct to go undetected,” Platkin added.

Crystal Lake facility under scrutiny for abuse, safety violations

At the very same facility, two other employees faced charges a year ago, accused of beating a patient and critically hurting him.

That victim was a 52-year-old male patient, Ocean County police said.

In May, the Crystal Lake nursing center was ordered by the state to curtail its admission rate and fix some glaring safety concerns for existing residents.

A letter issued in May said that inspectors found multiple state violations during at least three visits to the facility between December 2024 and April.

Failure to prevent and report resident abuse in a timely manner was among top concerns.

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