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A resident of AristaCare at Cedar Oaks in South Plainfield has been charged with reckless manslaughter, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone and Chief James Parker of the South Plainfield Police Department.
On Jan. 16, at approximately 3:40 P.M., authorities received a 911 call requesting assistance with a combative patient.
Police found Angel Bermontiz, 81, of Piscataway. Bermontiz was restrained in his bed by the staff of AristaCare because he had just assaulted another patient, Clara Sutowski, 91, of South Plainfield, Ciccone said. Sutowski was transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where she was ultimately pronounced dead.
An investigation led by Detective Thomas Rutter of the South Plainfield Police Department and Detective Jose Rosario of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Bermontiz slapped Sutowski causing her to fall and hit her head on the floor, Ciccone said.
Bermontiz was charged on Thursday, Jan. 26.
This is an active and ongoing investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Rutter of the South Plainfield Police Department at 908-755-0700 and Detective Jose Rosario of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-745-4045.
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