community service for five deaths?

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Specializes in ER.

SAN ANTONIO -- A district judge sentenced the former owner of an unlicensed adult-care home to 10 years probation Thursday.

The judge also ordered Lydia Ortega (pictured, left) to perform 800 hours of community service as part of her punishment for a fire that killed five people at the Loving Touch Home Healthcare in September 1998.

A jury found Ortega guilty in October on five counts of injury to the elderly by reckless omission.

The jury also sentenced Ortega to 10 years probation, which the judge upheld Thursday.

But the judge refused to jail Ortega for 180 days as part of her probation, which prosecutors requested.

Following the sentencing, Ortega said she would like to open a soup kitchen in the future "to feed the poorest of the poor on the West Side of town. (To) feed them spiritually as well as physically

http://www.ksat.com/news/2653238/detail.html

SAN ANTONIO -- The owner of an unlicensed adult-care facility refused a fire alarm inspection before the home caught fire and killed five residents, a prosecution witness told a jury Wednesday.

Jack Bryant, of Aprotex Alarms Systems, told jurors that homeowner Lydia Ortega (pictured, left) hadn't had her fire alarm inspected in three years.

"I said, 'Ms. Ortega, it's time for us to do this second inspection,'" Bryant said on the witness stand. 'The first one was done six months ago, and we need to get the inspection done.' And she told me she didn't want me to do the inspection, this was her business."

Prosecutors also claim Ortega, who is on trial for injury to the elderly by reckless omission, had limited fire safety equipment, no fire evacuation plan and that the home was overcrowded before the fatal blaze in September 1998.

The fire was blamed on a caregiver who fell asleep while smoking a cigarette.

http://www.ksat.com/news/2508659/detail.html

Hey, she killed five people and she's not even going to jail. Community service....bah, humbug! Next time I want to off some rich relative I'll just start a boarding home.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I am shocked no one replies to this one.

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE.....

period. things get sicker all the time in this country. Where monsters like Wacko Jacko walk free...and monsters like this. It is an outrage.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by canoehead

SAN ANTONIO -- A district judge sentenced the former owner of an unlicensed adult-care home to 10 years probation Thursday.

The judge also ordered Lydia Ortega (pictured, left) to perform 800 hours of community service as part of her punishment for a fire that killed five people at the Loving Touch Home Healthcare in September 1998.

A jury found Ortega guilty in October on five counts of injury to the elderly by reckless omission.

The jury also sentenced Ortega to 10 years probation, which the judge upheld Thursday.

But the judge refused to jail Ortega for 180 days as part of her probation, which prosecutors requested.

Following the sentencing, Ortega said she would like to open a soup kitchen in the future "to feed the poorest of the poor on the West Side of town. (To) feed them spiritually as well as physically

http://www.ksat.com/news/2653238/detail.html

SAN ANTONIO -- The owner of an unlicensed adult-care facility refused a fire alarm inspection before the home caught fire and killed five residents, a prosecution witness told a jury Wednesday.

Jack Bryant, of Aprotex Alarms Systems, told jurors that homeowner Lydia Ortega (pictured, left) hadn't had her fire alarm inspected in three years.

"I said, 'Ms. Ortega, it's time for us to do this second inspection,'" Bryant said on the witness stand. 'The first one was done six months ago, and we need to get the inspection done.' And she told me she didn't want me to do the inspection, this was her business."

Prosecutors also claim Ortega, who is on trial for injury to the elderly by reckless omission, had limited fire safety equipment, no fire evacuation plan and that the home was overcrowded before the fatal blaze in September 1998.

The fire was blamed on a caregiver who fell asleep while smoking a cigarette.

http://www.ksat.com/news/2508659/detail.html

Hey, she killed five people and she's not even going to jail. Community service....bah, humbug! Next time I want to off some rich relative I'll just start a boarding home.

Good golly.....Looks like another example of how the elderly in our country have become devalued...You can bet that if it was a children's day care the women would be serving 5 life sentences consecutively.Or maybe not-it seems to be acceptable to leave children locked in hot cars and let them play with riding mowers........And who would entrust an adult or child to an un-licensed day care? Don't folks routinely ask to see licenses and credentials of the people that they are entrusting their most precious possessions to?
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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Canoe -- What??? Any stated reason for the light treatment? Seems a little unusual.

The Texas judicial system has a rep for being a bit tougher than what this makes them out to be.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.
Originally posted by ktwlpn

Good golly.....Looks like another example of how the elderly in our country have become devalued...You can bet that if it was a children's day care the women would be serving 5 life sentences consecutively.Or maybe not-it seems to be acceptable to leave children locked in hot cars and let them play with riding mowers........And who would entrust an adult or child to an un-licensed day care? Don't folks routinely ask to see licenses and credentials of the people that they are entrusting their most precious possessions to? And careless smoking by a caregiver? What happened to that person?

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Specializes in ER.

I couldn't find a reason for the light sentence, except perhaps because the owner looks to be over 60 herself- but still...

I assumed that boarding homes were regulated just as strongly as LTC. At least thought they would need a license from the state and the dept of health. Apparently she had no licenses, and when she refused to allow a fire inspection they just said "oh well" and ignored it. I know the fire marshal for our hospital keeps us on a very tight leash. What is up in Texas?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

its LONG been a fact that in the USA, anyhow, KIDS and ELDERLY are left behind. Hence, many suspicious deaths going un-investigated or given much more than a passing thought. We really don't value our most vulnerable citzens much.....or else monsters like this and MJ woudl NOT be walking free right now. It is a national disgrace and we ought be ashamed. and WORRIED.

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Originally posted by canoehead

Apparently she had no licenses, and when she refused to allow a fire inspection they just said "oh well" and ignored it.

Maybe that is a clue to the light sentencing? Maybe her attorney tried to put some of the blame on the fire marshall, and it turned into a political game. Such things are not unheard of, you know...

Should that be the case, it's even more of an outrage!

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