Long Beach Grandfather Killed By Hospital Roommate: Police

LONG BEACH, CA — A 73-year-old Long Beach grandfather died from his injuries Sunday after he was attacked by his hospital roommate, authorities said Monday.

Police responded about 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 31 to reports of battery at a local hospital, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported Monday. Authorities learned the victim, Francisco Sanchez-Reyes, had major injuries to his upper torso after being attacked by a man he was sharing a room with at the hospital, the news website reported. Sanchez-Reyes was then transferred to a different hospital in critical condition, according to the Press-Telegram.

"Our hearts are broken as he left us unexpectedly," Sanchez-Reyes' son Ramon Sanchez said in a GoFundMe set up to pay for associated costs.

The 73-year-old was initially hospitalized due to a urinary tract infection and was expected to return home "possibly the next day," the GoFundMe said. After the beating, Sanchez-Reyes went into a coma and nurses said he had "multiple and extensive bleeding throughout his brain and they couldn't save him," Sanchez wrote on the GoFundMe page.

Long Beach resident Reginald Daniel Panthier, 37, was taken into custody and originally booked on suspicion of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon that’s not a firearm and producing great bodily harm against an elder, KIRO 7 reported. He was being held on $1 million bail at the Long Beach City Jail, although detectives told the Press-Telegram they plan to discuss amending charges with the District Attorney’s Office after Sanchez-Reyes' death.

"He was my first teacher, coach, and mentor, he came here from Mexico to give us more opportunity and a better life," Sanchez wrote about his father. "He was the one that taught me about work ethic, respect and being a good human being. Love for God and to get along with others."

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