Police probe death of dementia patient found in freezer
Police are TROTWOOD — investigating the death of an 86-year-oldwomanfound in awalk-in freezer hours after she was reported missing.
The woman, who suffered from dementia, was identified as Sofiya Perel, who died Tuesday at Maria Joseph Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, 4830 Salem Ave., according toMontgomeryCountyCoroner Dr. Kent Harshbarger.
Trotwood police were called around1:40 a.m. Tuesday to the facility after the patient who lived on the fourth floor bypassed safety features, including locked doors, according to a release from Trotwood police.
Police and staff searched the building for about two hours beforePerelwasfound deceased around 4 a.m. in a walk-in freezer at the facility.
Perel’s cause and manner of deathhave not been determined, Harshbarger stated.
TheDaytonDailyNews has requested additional records fromTrotwood police and is seekingcommentfromMaria Joseph Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.
Maria Joseph has 280 licensed beds, and the most recent federal data reports it has an average of 265 residents per day living there, making it one of the largest facilities in the Dayton region.
It has two star rating, out of five possible stars, according to U.S. Centers forMedicare& Medicaid, which rates all nursing homes on a scale of one to five.
The 4830 SalemAve. community has slightly below average staffing levels, according to U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid.
At its last standard inspection, which was in January, it had 11 citations forminor issues, all ofwhichwere considered addressed and fixed by early March.
It has four out of five stars for its “quality of resident care” rating, with highmarks forboth long-term and shortstay resident care.