An East Palo Alto woman was sentenced to 40 days in county jail for accidentally killing two and hospitalizing one Atria Assisted Living Facility resident by serving them toxic cleaning fluid instead of juice for breakfast, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
The woman, Alisia Rivera Mendoza, 36, previously pleaded no contest to felony elder abuse. In addition to her jail sentence, she received 350 hours of community service, two years of supervised probation and is banned from working in nursing homes and care facilities.
The incident at the assisted living and memory care facility at 2883 S. Norfolk St. in San Mateo occurred Aug. 27, 2022, and resulted in the death of two residents, Gertrude Maxwell, 93, and Peter Schroeder, 93. Another resident, Richard Fong, was hospitalized but survived the ingestion, according to the DA’s Office.
Mendoza — who worked at the facility — poured the toxic cleaning fluid into a pitcher, intending to use it to clean the kitchen after breakfast. However, another employee took the pitcher and poured it into the three residents’ glasses, the DA’s office said. The San Mateo Fire Department and 911 was called at the time of the ingestion.
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Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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