Family demands answers to sudden death of loved one

<p>A Bronx family distraught over the death of their loved one is demanding an investigation to determine the cause of her demise.</p>

News 12 Staff

Jan 23, 2018, 2:39 AM

Updated 2,282 days ago

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Family demands answers to sudden death of loved one
A Bronx family distraught over the death of their loved one is demanding an investigation to determine the cause of her demise.
Jennifer Alicea says her grandmother, Iris Gonzalez, was admitted to the Williamsbridge Center in mid-December for rehab after a fall. The family says Iris unexpectedly died at the center on Jan. 14. 
The family got a call saying Iris had died only a few days after they had last visited her. She was supposed to come home a week after she died.
According to the certificate of death, the nursing home tells News 12 that the immediate cause of death was cardiopulmonary arrest The family's lawyer has questions about what happened to Gonzalez in her final hours. 
"We got some third-party witness information indicating that the mother may have taken a fall. They have information that she was calling for assistance for quite some time and facility personnel had not responded," Nelson de la Cruz says. 
The Williamsbridge Center tells News 12 the facility followed proper protocol, immediately calling 911 when Gonzalez passed out in the bathroom. 
The medical examiner's office says it has been in contact with Gonzalez's family and that the official cause and manner of death are pending further studies, as they determine if an autopsy is necessary.


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