By Guy Leonard, County Times
HOLLYWOOD, Md. (Aug. 14, 2008)—Detectives with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Criminal Investigations are continuing their investigations into the deaths of a patient at St. Mary’s Hospital while being treated there and that of a three month-old child at their home August 9.
Sheriff Timothy K. Cameron told The County Times Monday that results are still pending from the state regarding the death at St. Mary’s Hospital.
“We’re still waiting for final word from the medical examiner to rule on the cause of death,’ Cameron said.
Detectives are not releasing details of how the patient died.
Hospital administrators have also investigated the circumstances surrounding the patient’s death but likewise have not released any further details.
“St. Mary’s Hospital has been supportive of the police investigation in addition to completing our own internal analysis, as patient safety is our leading goal,” said a statement from hospital President and CEO Christine Wray. “Our deepest condolences are with the patient’s family.”
Detectives are also looking into the death of Violette Noell Sheluga, a three-month-old infant who died after she fell down from a washing machine, BCI reports stated.
Those same reports stated that Sheluga was reportedly sitting in a “bouncy seat” on top of the running washing machine while her mother was folding laundry.
Sheluga was transported to St. Mary’s Hospital and then to Children’s Hospital in the District where she later died from the head trauma she sustained in the fall.
“There’s no indication of foul play at this point,” said BCI commander Lt. Rick Burris. “We still have a lot of [investigative] work to do.”