Woman attacked in Tacoma psychiatric hospital dies from injuries, police say
A 63-year-old woman who was attacked at Wellfound Behavioral Health in Tacoma earlier this month has died from her injuries, according to police.
The woman was a patient at the psychiatric hospital on South 19th Street when the attack occurred March 14. She was walking toward another patient in a hallway when he punched her in the face, knocking her unconscious. The patient allegedly beat the woman three separate times while other patients and staff continued to pull him off of her, according to court documents.
She was in critical condition and taken to a hospital by Tacoma Fire Department personnel. Eyewitnesses told detectives the attack was unprovoked, charging documents show.
The woman was pronounced dead on Monday at a local hospital, according to the Tacoma Police Department in a news release.
Prosecutors charged Elias Santos Salcedo, 25, with attempted first-degree murder for the attack. A Pierce County Superior Court commissioner ordered Salcedo to undergo a competency test while he is held at the Pierce County Jail, according to court records.
Adam Faber, spokesperson for the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, told The News Tribune that Salcedo has not been arraigned for the initial attempted murder charge because the evaluation first has to determine if he is competent to hear the charges against him.
Prosecutors also typically don’t upgrade charges to murder until an autopsy comes back.
A competency hearing is tentatively scheduled for April 8, according to court records.
