The death of an elderly Virginia woman who was pushed by a fellow resident at an assisted living facility and later died has been ruled a homicide, Fairfax County police say.
On May 8, 2016, 87-year-old Danielle Griffin had an argument with another woman who lived at Leewood Healthcare Center in Annandale when the resident pushed her, causing her to fall to the ground. Griffin was diagnosed with a fractured hip and released from Inova Fairfax Hospital a few days later.
About a month later, Griffin was taken to the hospital again after complaining of shortness of breath. She died a short time later.
After an autopsy, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said her cause of death was complications from the hip fracture with extensive medical conditions, police said. Griffin had previously been diagnosed with dementia and hypertension.
Detectives learned that the resident who pushed Griffin in May also suffers from diminished mental capacity.
"At this point, given the totality of the circumstances, no charges are expected to be placed in this case," Fairfax County police said in a release.
In December, the Commonwealth's Attorney for the City of Alexandria announced there would be no criminal charges in a similar case. An 82-year-old man died after he was pushed during an argument about a television at the Sunrise of Alexandria assisted living facility.
