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Kyle Samuels-Robey was sharing a room with 25-year-old Jacob Gonzalez at the state-run psychiatric facility when the incident happened on Sunday, July 14, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Pennsylvania State Police Captain Gerard B. McShea said.
At 9:30 p.m., a hospital security employee looked into the pair's room and saw both men lying on their beds, then told Gonzalez to go get his medications, Steele and McShea said.
Three minutes later, Samuels-Robey approached two registered nurses to ask for ice for his swollen hand.
An affidavit for probable cause said Samuels-Robey told nurses that he "beat up" and "choked out" another patient because he'd thrown his books.
The nurses and security personnel then found Gonzalez unresponsive and slumped over on his bed, according to Steele and McShea.
Gonzalez was rushed to Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
An autopsy was performed on Gonzalez by Dr. Marianne Hamel, a forensic pathologist for the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, who found the cause of death was asphyxiation due to compression of the neck and the manner of death was homicide.
Samuels-Robey was charged with first- and third-degree murder, and arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Todd Stephens. He was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m., July 25, before Magisterial District Judge Denise Ashe.
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