BEATEN AND DEAD
Ann Klein patient dies weeks after brutal attack
TRENTON » An Ann Klein Forensic Center patient who was brutally attacked last month by another service recipient has died this week in what could potentially be ruled a homicide.
Authorities are investigating whether 55-year-old Daniel Rodriguez’s death was caused by the assault injuries he suffered on Feb. 13, according to New Jersey State Police.
Ann Klein is a state-run facility that provides care and treatment to individuals suffering from mental illness who are also within the legal system. The Trenton-based forensic center is known to have documented incidents of violence against staff members and against patients such as Rodriguez.
Another patient viciously attacked Rodriguez about 7:30 a.m. Feb. 13 at the forensic center. He was sent to Capital Health Regional Medical Center following the attack and died Wednesday, according to State Police Lt. Ted Schafer. “The case is under investigation,” he said, “to determine if the death was due to the incident that occurred at the psychiatric hospital.”
No charges as of Thursday afternoon have been filed. Schafer said an autopsy was being conducted to determine the manner and cause of Rodriguez’s death. He did not identify the patient responsible for the assault, but sources identified the culprit by the initials D.H.
Sources also told The Trentonian that D.H. “sucker punched” Rodriguez in the incident last month and that he died this week from a head injury. Patients at the facility are known as clients or service recipients.
State law requires state psychiatric hospitals and the Ann Klein Forensic Center to report any major and moderate injuries that occur on the premises, including assaults against staff members and service recipients.
Ann Klein in 2017 reported two substantiated injury reports. One incident was a service recipient assault to another patient that resulted in a major injury, according to the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. A major injury refers to an injury that requires hospital treatment, especially skull fractures and broken bones. The other serious 2017 assault at Ann Klein involved a service recipient who assaulted a staff member, resulting in a moderate injury, according to state data. A moderate injury is one that requires treatment beyond basic first aid, such as lacerations that require stitches or a human bite that breaks through the victim’s skin. The Ann Klein Forensic Center serves 199 clients who have been determined by the courts to be “not guilty by reason of insanity” or “incompetent to stand trial” or who require special security measures due to the nature of their illness, according to the state’s mental health division.