REDWOOD FALLS - An Olivia man faces a second-degree manslaughter charge after a 100-year-old woman died as a result of injuries she suffered after falling while in his care at the Sunwood Good Samaritan Center in Redwood Falls.
Francisco Javier Ramirez, 29, appeared Thursday in Redwood County District Court on felony charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminal neglect, and gross misdemeanor charges of mistreatment of a resident and criminal neglect.
ADVERTISEMENT
The court ordered bail at $90,000 without conditions and $60,000 with conditions.
His attorney, Joel Solie, filed a motion seeking dismissal of the charges.
According to the criminal complaint, Ramirez was transferring the woman from a bath in a swing chair on Sept. 10, 2017, but allegedly doing so without following the protocols for which he was trained. She slid out of the chair and broke her ankle when it was about 5 feet in the air.
He did not have assistance from a second person as is required, and raised the chair to about 5 feet, its highest level.
He removed the seat belt holding the woman, and she fell from the chair, according to the complaint. The standard procedure is to lift to no more than 1 to 2 feet.
After the woman fell, Ramirez continued to disregard protocol by attempting to move her, according to the complaint, and he left her alone on the floor to obtain assistance.
The woman died Sept. 17 due to the injuries. The Redwood Falls Police Department conducted an investigation that led to the charges after the woman's death was reported to the Minnesota Adult Abuse Reporting Center.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ramirez had been trained on protocols for use of the chair in July 2014 and August 2017, the complaint states.
