An 82 year-old Covid patient was beaten to death with an oxygen tank for saying a prayer in his hospital bed, police say. The unidentified victim was murdered at Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, California, on December 17, with 37 year-old Jesse Martinez arrested over the killing.

Martinez, who was also being treated for Covid, is said to have been sharing a two-person room with his victim, with investigators saying he flew into a rage during the elderly man’s religious reflection.

The victim died the day after he was beaten, and did not know Martinez prior to being placed in a room with him.

A spokesman for Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office said: ‘The suspect became upset when the victim started to pray. He then struck the victim with an oxygen tank.’

Martinez was charged with murder, which sheriff’s deputies say was aggravated by alleged hate crime and elder abuse aspects. The man who was murdered was Hispanic. Martinez is being held in jail in lieu of $1 million bond.

Confirmed Coronavirus infections in the US now stand at 18.3million, with close to 325,000 dead as a result.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]

For more stories like this, check our news page

Source: Read Full Article