California man accused of murdering fellow Covid patient with oxygen tank

The murder occurred in a hospital room in southern California

Credit: Mario Tama /Getty

A Californian man accused of using an oxygen tank to bludgeon a fellow Covid patient to death in his hospital bed last week has been charged with murder, a hate crime and elder abuse. 

Jesse Martinez, 37, became aggravated when the 82-year-old man sharing his hospital room started praying, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. 

Detectives said Mr Martinez then grabbed an oxygen tank and used it to beat the elderly patient.

The victim, whom detectives identified as an 82-year-old Hispanic man, died from the injuries the following day — December 18.

The two men did not know each other, according to the sheriff’s department, and were receiving treatment for coronavirus in a two-person room in Antelope Valley Hospital in Lancaster, southern California.

Mr Martinez was arrested and charged with murder, a hate crime enhancement and elder abuse. His bail was set at $1 million.

Mr Martinez is set to appear in Antelope Valley Court on December 28.

"Detectives have learned that the victim was at Antelope Valley Hospital receiving treatment for Covid-19. He was housed in a two-person room inside the hospital with the suspect, who was also there receiving treatment," a statement from Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said.

"The suspect became upset when the victim started to pray. He then struck the victim with an oxygen tank." 

California’s hospitals have been strained by soaring coronavirus rates, with officials warning that the state’s hospitals may soon reach capacity after recording one million new infections in just six weeks. 

It means America’s most populous state has now recorded more than two million cases since the pandemic began. 

This week Dr Mark Ghaly, the California health secretary, warned that some parts of the state may run out of room "by the end of the month and early in January".