A coronavirus patient in California was charged with homicide, hate crime improvement and elder abuse after killing his hospital roommate who also had COVID-19, NBC News reports .
Jesse Martinez, 37, allegedly hit the 82-year-old Hispanic victim with an oxygen tank. Martinez became angry after the old man began praying, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The victim was also ill with coronavirus and was being treated along with Martinez in a two-person hospital room.
The incident at Antelope Valley Hospital, located in Lancaster, California, occurred on December 17th. The victim died of his wounds the next day.
Authorities said Martinez and the victim did not know each other, according to police.
Martinez’s bail is set at $ 1 million and he is due to appear in court in Antelope Valley on Monday.