Six years after losing their father, a Delano family is searching for the truth about how he died. The family says they thought their dad died from respiratory complications, but recently discovered a drugged-up nurse may have actually killed him.
For years, family members say they believed what the staff at Delano Regional Medical Center told them, that doctors did what they could to save their dad. But now the family has discovered while hospital staff performed CPR on their father, one of the nurses fell asleep. They say the hospital never told them.
“Every time there is a birthday party or an addition to the family, he is not there so that we can share with him. There are a lot of things. We miss him so much and we just feel that we could still have him,” daughter Mary Turrubiates said.
Since their father died six years ago, peace and closure has come slowly for Turrubiates and her siblings.
But six months ago, the family received a call that forced them to relive their father's death. On the phone was a journalist who used to work for the Los Angeles Times. The reporter explained that according to court records a nurse who was caring for Rigoberto Rodriguez was under the influence of drugs and collapsed on their father while performing CPR.
The family says they had no idea.
“Basically shocked and very hurt, it brought everything back all over again… his death. It’s very heartbreaking,” Mary Turrubiates also said.
Turrubiates says when her father died doctors only blamed his respiratory problems. But the family says the 75-year-old man was healthy and full of life. He had eight children and 35 grandchildren.
“They didn't give us the right information… everything that happened to my dad. They hid it from us,” Anna Moreno said.
According to court records, the same day the nurse, John Michael Jones, fell asleep while performing CPR on Rodriguez the hospital staff noticed Jones was acting strangely and slurring his words.
The documents also say Jones later admitted he had stolen and self-administered prescription drugs while working at Delano Regional Medical Center.
The hospital would not go on camera to talk about the case, but did tell 17News Jones is no longer employed there.
The family plans to sue.
“If it didn’t cause the death or have anything to do with the death, why didn't the hospital come clean? Why didn’t they step up to the plate and say look this is what happened,” attorney Daniel Rodriguez asked.
In their search for the truth, the Delano family says those are the very questions they wanted answered.
According to court records, Jones pleaded no contest to felony drug charges about one year after Rodriguez died and his California nursing license was revoked.
