![Report into LaSalle home deaths raises questions about criminal probe Report into LaSalle home deaths raises questions about criminal probe](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/img-DURKIN-0171-J9ccNS-1024x682.jpeg)
Report into LaSalle home deaths raises questions about criminal probe
By SARAH MANSUR
Capitol News Illinois
smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com
SPRINGFIELD — Some Republicans in the General Assembly, including House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, are calling for a criminal investigation into the COVID-19 related deaths at the state-run LaSalle Veterans’ Home.
The push for a criminal probe comes after a state investigative report was released Friday that found there were widespread failures at the LaSalle facility and the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs that contributed to 36 resident deaths there since November.
The report from the state Department of Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General found the facility failed to prepare for an outbreak, lacked infection prevention plans or policies, and had major issues with communication, staff training and education. It also found that senior officials at the IDVA and LaSalle facility were not taking control or actively managing the outbreak as it became a crisis.
Durkin, a former Cook County prosecutor, said a criminal investigation into the deaths should be initiated because there is a criminal statute specifically addressing abuse or neglect of a long-term care facility resident.
“I wouldn’t say we’re at the level of probable cause, but it certainly does warrant further investigation on whether or not criminal negligence did take place because not only were (veterans) injured and became ill, but we did have deaths at that facility,” Durkin, of Western Springs, said at a news conference Friday.
The criminal statute pertaining to the abuse or neglect of a long-term care facility resident states, in part, that a person commits criminal neglect of a long term care facility resident when he or she recklessly “performs acts that cause a resident’s life to be endangered, health to be injured…or that create the substantial likelihood that an elderly person’s or person with a disability’s life will be endangered, (or) health will be injured….”
Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, an Elmhurst Republican who practices civil law, said the report contains examples that should be further investigated to ensure that the criminal statute was not broken during the outbreak at LaSalle.
“It is reasonable to know that putting a COVID positive patient in a COVID negative patient’s room is going to endanger or threaten their health or their life,” Mazzochi said at the Friday news conference.
She was referring to an incident in the report where staff described a COVID-19-positive veteran and a COVID-19-negative veteran being placed in the same room. The veteran who tested negative was then moved to a non-infected wing of the facility, despite their exposure to a positive veteran.
Both Durkin and Mazzochi said the Illinois Attorney General could conduct a criminal investigation into the deaths at LaSalle.
“We do have a precedent that was set in Adams County behalf of the state Attorney General who opened up the grand jury to determine whether or not there was any criminality, with the actions at the Quincy Veterans’ Home,” Durkin said Friday.
In 2018, then-Attorney General Lisa Madigan, a Democrat, launched a criminal investigation into how the administration of then-Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, responded to the deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease at Quincy between 2015 and 2018 that killed 13 veterans.
That investigation concluded in 2020, under current Attorney General Kwame Raoul, also a Democrat, who found there was not a basis to bring charges.
“You have to follow the evidence and match it up to the law, and it’s a very dangerous thing to have the presumption at the initiation of an investigation that there has to be a charge,” Raoul said to WBEZ earlier this year in an interview about ending the criminal investigation into the deaths at Quincy. “Sometimes, the evidence is just not going to lead you there. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t worthwhile to investigate it in the first place.”
Sen. Sue Rezin, a Morris Republican whose district includes the LaSalle home, said she also urges Raoul to review the report and the details surrounding the outbreak to determine if a criminal investigation is warranted.
“Out of respect for the LaSalle Home veterans and their loved ones, I hope he thoroughly investigates any possible wrongdoing just as he did during the Quincy Veterans’ Home Legionnaires’ outbreak,” Rezin said in a statement to CNI on Monday.
A spokesperson for the Raoul’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth on Monday penned a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough asking the department to provide resources and assistance to the state-run veterans homes in Illinois.
Their letter also notes that the USDVA provided technical assistance to the Quincy Veterans’ Home after the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak there.
Durbin and Duckworth, both Democrats, were supportive of Madigan’s decision in 2018 to open a criminal investigation into the Quincy deaths.
A spokesperson for the senators did not respond to a question Monday about whether they would support a similar investigation into the LaSalle deaths.
Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government and distributed to more than 400 newspapers statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.
Local News
![BBBlogo2021 BBBlogo2021](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/BBBlogo2021.png)
Think before you answer a Facebook quiz, BBB says
Spread the loveBy Better Business Bureau staff Social media is used as a fun distraction for some people, and taking a Facebook quiz may seem like a harmless way to pass the time. But are you giving away more information than you think? How the scam works A fun quiz pops up on your Facebook…
![joanhadac Joan Hadac](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/joanhadac.jpg)
Thank you, Karen Sala
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac GSWNH Columnist At-Large As we all know, longtime Gage Park correspondent Karen Sala has decided to conclude her time with this column. Like every Greater Southwest News-Herald correspondent, Karen made the neighborhoods she served a better place. Thank you, Karen! That said, the search now begins for a new Gage…
![PeggyZabicki Peggy Zabicki](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/PeggyZabicki-1024x768.jpg)
Crime prevention starts with each of us
Spread the loveBy Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Hi neighbors! Before I say another thing, I want to wish my fellow columnist Karen Sala well. As you know, she wrote her final column last week. I love Karen’s style of writing. It’s conversational and natural. I always felt like she…
![MaryStanek Mary Stanek](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/MaryStanek-1-768x1024.jpg)
Plenty to celebrate in February
Spread the loveBy Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 “February is the month when days start to get long and gloomy nights to shrink.” –Anonymous. Thank goodness there are only 28 days this year. We are getting closer to March. But it’s silly to…
![regional republic services - Copy regional republic services - Copy](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/regional-republic-services-Copy.png)
Storm scrambles waste pickup in Palos Park
Spread the loveOn Wednesday afternoon, the Village of Palos Park was informed by Republic Services that waste pickup is cancelled in the village, and all other communities they serve, for Thursday, February 3, due to the continued closure of landfill sites from the hazardous winter conditions. Thursday waste service customers will need to hold their…
![CRRNH_IrishParade_020222 The neighborhood St. Patrick’s Day parade is a family-focused event, and those at the curb are often as colorful and interesting as those in the parade itself—as these parade goers proved in 2021. --Photo by Cosmo Hadac](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CRRNH_IrishParade_020222-1024x678.jpg)
Archer Avenue may go green
Spread the loveSt. Patrick’s Day parade planned By Tim Hadac Organizers of Garfield Ridge’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade are hoping the Lightfoot Administration will give a green thumbs-up to the small but festive celebration of all things Irish. For each of the last two years, City Hall withdrew its support and denied permits based…
![regional orland fire 2-2-22 Orland firefighters enter an apartment building on Sunday morning. (Photo courtesy of Orland Fire Protection District)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/regional-orland-fire-2-2-22.jpeg)
No injuries in basement fire in Orland Park apartment
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A basement fire damaged a four-unit apartment building early Sunday morning in Orland Park. The fire was extinguished quickly and damage was kept to a small area of the basement, although smoke filled the building. Officials of the Orland Fire Protection District said there were no injuries and the cause…
![reporter water's edge golf course reporter water's edge golf course](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/reporter-waters-edge-golf-course-1.jpg)
Worth hires new management for Water’s Edge Golf Course
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle Even an impending snowstorm could not damper the mood of Worth Trustee Laura Packwood regarding plans for the village’s Water’s Edge Golf Course. Packwood, who is the head of the golf committee, said that Orion, a company based out of Kansas City, Mo., became the official managers of Water’s Edge…
![black cat black cat](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/black-cat-1024x682.jpg)
Cook County residents eligible for spay/neuter discounts in February
Spread the lovePet owners can bring their dogs and cats to participating veterinarians throughout Cook County to receive a $40 discount on spay or neuter services in February. The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control are offering the spay and neuter program during February – Spay and Neuter Awareness Month. More than 200…
Neighbors
![reporter 6-18-24 HH spiderman Ribhi “Spiderman” Gaber wishes everyone at Glen Oak School a great summer. (Photos by Nuha Abdessalam)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/reporter-6-18-24-HH-spiderman-1024x768.jpg)
Young Spiderman fan wishes students a great summer
Spread the loveBy Nuha Abdessalam Spiderman-kid bids farewell and wishes a beautiful summer break to students of Glen Oak Elementary in Hickory Hills. Since the summer of 2023, when he discovered the movie “Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse,” a story about multiple Spidermen from different dimensions, 6-year-old Ribhi Gaber has been more than just a fan…
![reporter worth welcome sign reporter worth welcome sign](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/reporter-worth-welcome-sign.jpg)
Worth finalizes rules for open burning in village
Spread the loveBy Joe Boyle After several discussions over the past month, the Village of Worth has new guidelines for open burning by businesses and in residential areas. Mayor Mary Werner mentioned during the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night that a discrepancy in an ordinance regarding open burning had a 10 p.m. deadline. However,…
![2 Residents were invited out to join Orland Township Supervisor Paul O'Grady for an event called, Minds Matter 2024, on May 16 at Orland Township, 14807 S. Ravinia Avenue in Orland Park. (Supplied photos)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2-1024x768.jpeg)
Orland Township event focuses on mental health
Spread the loveBy Kelly White Orland Township is taking the time to focus on mental health. Residents were invited out to join Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady for an event called, Minds Matter 2024, on May 16 at Orland Township, located at 14807 S. Ravinia Avenue in Orland Park. “This was an excellent opportunity to…
![bridgeview police logo bridgeview police logo](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/bridgeview-police-logo.png)
Bridgeview shooting not related to Summer Smash
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Bridgeview Police Chief Ricardo Mancha on Monday wanted to emphasize that a shooting in the village Saturday night had nothing to do with the Summer Smash music festival that took place over the weekend at SeatGeek Stadium. “It was an isolated incident,” he said. “Completely unrelated to the Summer Smash…
![lyons township logo lyons township logo](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/lyons-township-logo.png)
Summer jobs available for youths through Lyons Township
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch The summer jobs program offered each year by the Township of Lyons is up and running. The program for high school and college students “is designed to give young individuals an opportunity for summer employment,” Trustee Donna McDonald said at the township board’s June 11 meeting. The jobs program started…
![summit police logo summit police logo](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/summit-police-logo-1024x986.jpg)
Pair busted for Summit phone store robberies
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Two Chicago men have been charged with robbing two phone stores in Summit earlier this year. Jacari Franklin and Austin White are charged with robbing the T-Mobile store at 5640 S. Harlem Ave. on March 28 and the AT&T store at Archer and Harlem avenues on April 18, police said.…
![dvn 6-17-24 lyons car show3 2024 Bruce Quintos (right) visits with Lyons Village Trustee Dan Hilker in front of Quintos’ 1957 Chevy Bel Air that he lovingly restored. (Photos by Steve Metsch)](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/dvn-6-17-24-lyons-car-show3-2024-1024x707.jpg)
Car enthusiasts crowd annual Father’s Day show in Lyons.
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Held under sunny and warm skies Sunday, the annual Father’s Day Car Show in Lyons was deemed a smashing success by participants and visitors. Not only were car lovers able to admire the four-wheeled beauties, some owners spent quality time with Dad or a spouse. Don Raschka, 80, of Central…
![PeggyZabicki Peggy Zabicki](https://southwestregionalpublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/PeggyZabicki-1024x768.jpg)
May this summer be a good season
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 . “Summer was our best season. It was sleeping on the screened porch on cots, or trying to sleep in the treehouse, summer was everything good to eat. It was a thousand colors in a parched landscape.”…