A woman in a Bronx hospital was tragically killed by her roommate, who had a known history of violent behavior, according to family members.
Cynthia Van, 55, was attacked on September 10th while she was asleep at Lincoln Hospital in Mott Haven, where she was receiving liver treatment. Reports indicate that she required emergency surgery following the assault.
She sustained severe head injuries and spent two weeks at the NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln Complex before passing away on September 27th.
“It’s heartbreaking. I’m devastated. It’s incredibly tough. My mother was my rock; she meant everything to me,” shared her daughter, Tanisha Van.
Tanisha expressed her outrage, saying, “No one should ever have to deal with such violence in a hospital, especially while they’re sleeping. You should feel safe there.”
The medical examiner’s office confirmed her death was due to blunt force trauma and ruled it a homicide.
The hospital did inform Tanisha about her roommate’s violent past, though it remains unclear if any charges have been filed against the suspect related to Van’s death.
Tanisha criticized the hospital for failing to provide a safe environment, expressing her fury about the situation. “I’m angry that this could happen,” she said.
Her mother’s birthday was approaching, which added to her grief. “She would have turned 56 on the 9th. It’s just unbearable; she deserved so much more.”
This incident occurred shortly before another violent event, where a 95-year-old dementia patient was attacked at a Coney Island nursing home.
Nina Kraktsov, a Holocaust survivor, was fatally injured on September 14th when Galina Smirnova attacked her with parts of a wheelchair. Nursing staff found Kraktsov in serious condition later that night.
She was rushed to NYU Brooklyn Hospital but unfortunately succumbed to her injuries the following morning.
Smirnova was apprehended and faced murder and weapons charges, later held in a Bellevue Hospital prison ward during her arrest.
