Kaitlin McKinley Becker

76-Year-Old Man Beaten to Death in Haverhill Nursing Home, District Attorney Says

Officials say 83-year-old Jose Veguilla allegedly beat a 76-year-old man to death at the Oxford Rehabilitation and Health Care Center

What to Know

  • The fatal assault took place around 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Oxford Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Haverhill, Massachusetts.
  • The 76-year-old man who died after being assaulted by another resident at the residential nursing facility has not been identified.
  • 83-year-old Jose Veguilla was arrested in connection with the assault and was taken to Holy Family Hospital for an evaluation.

A 76-year-old man living at a nursing home in Haverhill, Massachusetts, was beaten to death by another resident, according to the Essex County District Attorney's Office. 

Haverhill police responded to the Oxford Rehabilitation and Health Care Center shortly after 7:30 p.m. Saturday for a report of a combative patient at the facility.

Responding officers discovered the victim suffering from physical injuries, and he was taken to Holy Family Hospital where he was pronounced dead. 

Police arrested 83-year-old Jose Veguilla in connection with the assault. Veguilla was also taken to Holy Family Hospital where he is undergoing an evaluation. 

While Veguilla and the victim, who has not been identified, both lived at the facility, the district attorney could not say if the two were roommates.

Gifford Russel, who lives in the nursing home and knows both men involved, says the suspect and victim both lived in the same room together.

Russel was closer to the man who died, saying, “He was a good old gentleman. he was a nice guy. he didn't deserve what happened to him.”

Facility spokesperson Tim Brown said in a statement Sunday, "The Oxford's heart goes out to the families of those involved in last night's incident. Based on our initial internal investigation, our staff acted quickly and appropriately in the matter." 

"He was at the end of the hall so evidently it took them a while to get to him," Russel said.

Russel’s daughter says she has questions for the nursing home about communication because she hasn’t heard a thing, leading to rumors among residents.

"I mean they're a really great facility, don’t get me wrong," she said, "but it's just, I don't know. It doesn't even seem like anything happened in there."

Another woman, whose mom lives at the facility, agreed there has been a lack of communication on the facility's part, saying, "They didn't even apparently let any of the residents know because I can guarantee you my mother would have told me."

The nursing home is providing additional support services to staff members and residents following the incident, Brown said. 

Veguilla is expected to be arraigned Monday, either at the hospital or court. It's not immediately clear if he has an attorney.

State and local authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident. 

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