‘Agitated’ man kills 72-year-old roommate at care facility, California cops say

The 72-year-old roommate of an “agitated” resident was found dead in their room at a California care home, authorities reported.

The man, identified as Michael Patterson, died of severe injuries from an assault in the 4:40 a.m. incident Friday, Nov. 1, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Workers at the long-term care facility in Thousand Oaks called for help after deputies said Thomas Buckley, 58, broke a window and refused to allow anyone to approach him.

While deputies detained Buckley, whom they described as “agitated,” workers checked on his roommate and found him with “severe injuries, apparently caused by an assault,” deputies said.

First responders pronounced him dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office said.

Buckley faces charges of murder, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism, deputies said.

Investigators ask anyone with information to call Detective Gerardo Cruz at 805-384-4726 or Detective Erik Hernandez at 805-384-4729.

Thousand Oaks is about a 40-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles.

This story was originally published November 3, 2024 at 9:06 AM with the headline "‘Agitated’ man kills 72-year-old roommate at care facility, California cops say."