The Hollywood Police Department said resident Cecilia Franco, 90, died after falling ill when the facility’s air conditioning system malfunctioned Sept. 13.
Officials at the nursing home, which has since shuttered, claimed a prolonged power failure caused the transformer that powered the facility’s air conditioning to malfunction. However, numerous reports surfaced indicating the facility failed to adequately prepare for the storm despite numerous warnings.
Police are reportedly treating the 14 deaths as a criminal matter.
Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott also ordered an investigation into the incident. However, his administration has faced mounting criticism after nursing home employees claimed they left numerous voicemails regarding the power failure on a hotline set up by Mr. Scott’s administration, but that their calls were ignored.
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