Man accused of tampering with equipment at Tacoma hospital arrested again for trespassing
A 38-year-old man diagnosed with severe mental illness who broke into MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital last month and allegedly shut off airflow and oxygen to part of the facility was again arrested Thursday morning for trespassing.
The early-morning arrest was at least the second time this week the man was detained at the hospital, according to the Tacoma Police Department. The hospital called police Wednesday afternoon because the man was in a patient’s room. A police spokesperson said the patient was not hurt. According to court records, hospital staff and security know the man as a frequent trespasser usually looking for food and a place to sleep.
MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital spokesperson Marce Edwards Olson said the man has caused issues at the hospital for several decades, sometimes causing damage to buildings or taking items. She said he got into a secure area of the facility Wednesday by “piggybacking” on a staff member’s badge swipe.
“We’re working on adding some weapon-detection systems to our emergency departments, adding additional security staff,” Edwards Olson said. “We’re also bringing in a security expert to do a third-party review just to identify things that we haven’t thought of.”
The spokesperson said the hospital thoroughly investigated Wednesday’s trespassing incident, and it had no evidence that any patient or staff member was harmed while the man was there. Edwards Olson said the hospital reviewed security footage and spoke with staff members to determine if anything happened.
In November, the man was found in an eighth-floor mechanical room after a hospital employee was alerted that vital systems were being shut off and alarms were sounding, according to charges filed against the man in Pierce County Superior Court. The man had blankets and his belongings spread out on the floor. Records state multiple switches controlling airflow and oxygen for the hospital were shut off.
No patients were harmed, according to the probable cause document, but prosecutors wrote in the document that the Nov. 14 incident could have been “detrimental” to patients or even resulted in a death. Edwards Olson said it was the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit that was affected by the shutoff.
The man was found with a master key to the hospital and a key to the elevator when he was arrested that day, according to the probable cause document. It’s unclear how he got the keys.
Edwards Olson said in addition to other security measures, the hospital is also obtaining a second security dog and working to add more security officers by both hiring new employees and working with an outside agency.
Records show man admitted to Western State Hospital nine times
After the shutoff incident, the man was charged with interference with a healthcare facility, second-degree burglary and third-degree possession of stolen property. Those charges were dismissed last month because the court found he didn’t have the capacity to assist in his own defense due to ongoing symptoms of a severe mental illness.
According to a forensic psychological evaluation filed in court Nov. 29, the man has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, and he has been admitted to Western State Hospital at least nine times for various lengths of time since 2007.
Court records show he has 21 prior convictions in Pierce County. All but one of those convictions were for non-violent offenses. Records state he hit a security guard in the nose in 2002 while shoplifting at a Tacoma grocery store. Four cases he was charged in — three burglaries and a robbery — were dismissed for competency issues.
The News Tribune usually does not name suspects allegedly involved in nonviolent crimes. In addition to that policy, it has chosen to not name him due to his diagnosed mental health and competency issues.
His most recent admittance to Western State Hospital was in June when he was brought there for a 72-hour evaluation to determine if he was suited for civil commitment. He had been accused of second-degree burglary for breaking into an auto repair yard in Tacoma.
According to his psychological evaluation, he had symptoms of severe mental illness but didn’t meet the criteria and was discharged to Tacoma Rescue Mission, a downtown homeless shelter.
When the man was admitted to Pierce County Jail last month, he was put in a holding cell because officers weren’t able to complete the booking process, records state. In an interview with a psychologist and his defense attorney Nov. 22, the man said he was held in the single-man cell since the day he was detained and was allowed outside of it for an hour each day.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly reported the age of the man arrested for incidents at the hospital.
This story was originally published December 30, 2022 at 1:48 PM.
