A patient of Truman Veterans Hospital has been named a suspect in the homicide of another hospital patient.
The incident occurred at about 6:30 p.m. Friday at the veterans hospital, according to a Columbia Police Department news release. Robert Hill, 78, of Warsaw, Mo., died four hours after the assault.
Hill died of injuries sustained during the attack, though there were no weapons used in the assault, the release stated.
Rudy Perez Jr., 33, of Sedalia, Mo., has been identified as the suspect in the homicide investigation. Information given by the veterans hospital staff is currently being reviewed by the CPD and the department has Perez in custody, a CPD news release stated.
The team of investigators handling the homicide case is made up of the CPD Criminal Investigations Unit and Criminal Division of the Office of Inspector General.
Perez was arrested for second-degree assault and first-degree burglary Jan. 30. A news release from the Sedalia Police and Pettis County Sheriff’s Department mentioned an assault that occurred on the 2000 block of South Washington Ave. It was reported as a burglary attempt.
According to the Sedalia Police news release, the victim told officers that the man, “punched him in the face and continued to assault him inside (his) home.” Sedalia Police said they found Perez down the street.
Truman Veterans Hospital offers “primary care, specialty care, extended care and related social support services,” to veterans. According to the Veterans Hospital’s page on the United States Department of Veterans Affairs website, their facility has 123 operating beds and sees over 350,000 outpatients.
The veterans hospital has services that concern behavior health or “treatment for a variety of issues that can impact emotional well-being.” According to its website, social work is also “an integral part of health care.” Their programs include counseling and advice for further community integration.
In addition to 1,363 employees, the veterans hospital is also run by 771 volunteers, who put in more than 60,000 hours in 2011. The MU School of Medicine works closely with the hospital to allow for student training experiences.
