🚨NO WHITE SUPREMACISTS INVOLVED🚨
Why hasn't this North Dade Nursing and Rehab facility been shut down and investigated by local authorities? They need to get every person out of there pronto. It is not a safe place for any person. I bet you he is not the only person this has happened to. They could have been getting away with this under the radar of suspicion giving family excuses for missing or deceased loved ones. (emphasis mine)
WPLG Local 10 published September 2, 2024: Loved ones demand answers after missing elderly man found dead inside North Miami nursing home. Loved ones were experiencing heartbreak and anguish as a body was brought out of a North Miami nursing facility on Monday.
NBC 6 South Florida published September 2, 2024: Grandfather found dead inside closet at nursing facility after missing for several days.
A family is claiming their grandfather, who had been missing for several days, was found dead inside a closet at a nursing facility in North Miami. NBC6’s Christian Colón reports.
CBS Miami published September 3, 2024: Family seeks answers in death of loved one at nursing home. A South Florida family is seeking answers after claiming the body of their loved one was found decomposing in a closet at a Miami-Dade nursing home.
CBS Miami published September 11, 2024: Family hires lawyer in death of man at North Miami nursing home. The family of an elderly man who died in a Miami nursing home has turned to an attorney in their search for answers.
CBS News
written by Larry Seward
Tuesday September 3, 2024
NORTH MIAMI - Family and friends gathered outside North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Monday calling for justice after claiming their loved one's body was found decomposing in a closet.
The family says the body of Elin Etienne, 71, was found in the closet at the facility less than three weeks after he arrived there for rehab, Etienne's niece, Rivly Breus, said.
"We still have to find out if he was put in the closet," Breus said. "We just don't know, and I don't want that to happen to another patient."
More than a dozen people huddled across the street from the facility Monday evening, chanting, "Justice for Elin Etienne."
Breus said her uncle was a loving man who migrated from Haiti more than 30 years ago. Etienne became a chef, then provided support for relatives to find their American dream in South Florida too, Breus said.
Things changed last fall. Etienne suffered two strokes, according to the family. He then developed dementia, Breus said. Etienne also suffered an aneurysm that stole his mobility and much of his cognitive functions, according to his family.
Loved ones sent Etienne, who has a daughter and grandchild, to the nursing center, hoping staff could help him recover. Family members felt comfortable with the staff, Breus said.
Breus last saw her uncle on Aug. 20. She brought him flowers, balloons and a new pair of shoes because he often gave loved ones gifts when they were in need, Breus said.
Two days later, though, a nurse from the center called, Breus said.
"They kept on saying that he signed himself out and that he didn't want anything to do with his family," Breus said. "That's impossible because he has dementia."
CBS News Miami approached the nursing center staff for a response. A staff member said, "No comment," and then shut the front doors.
North Miami Police did not return a call or emails. The agency did consider Etienne missing and, on a flyer, asked the public for help last month.
Etienne's loved ones hoped for the best until their phones rang Monday morning.
The family said they received an anonymous call saying that Etienne's body was found decomposing in a closet. However, a relative said the nursing center staff did not communicate with Etienne's family, who are demanding an explanation.
"Mainly because he decomposed and died alone in there suffering," Breus said. "It just doesn't make sense."
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WSVN7 News, Miami, FL local
written by Jessica Holly, Julian Quintana, Chantal Cook, Robbin Simmons, Jordan Segundo
Monday September 2, 2024
NORTH MIAMI, FLA. - A family is outraged and demanding answers after their loved one was found dead at a rehab center after he was reported missing.
Elin Etienne’s body was found in a storage room at North Dade Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, located at 1255 NE 135th St., Monday morning.
According to Etienne’s family, on Aug. 14, he was admitted to the rehab center recovering from a stroke. Family members say he was also diagnosed with dementia.
A week after he was admitted, on Aug. 22, Etienne’s family said the rehab center contacted them and told them that he self-discharged, which prompted his family to file a missing persons report with the North Miami Police Department.
“We thought that he went missing, we never expected him to be dead in the nursing home,” said Ruth Keisha Etienne who is a granddaughter.
Etienne’s family said that the staff at the rehab center checked his assigned room and could not find him.
“They said he signed himself out. He doesn’t have the capacity to sign himself out,” said Kimberly Etienne who is a relative.
“We put out an SOS that he was missing and had been missing since the 22nd,” said Rivly Bruce who is Etienne’s niece.
According to police, the rehab center said that Etienne, 71, was not diagnosed with dementia. The family disputes that claim.
Once he was reported missing, police arrived at Etienne’s family’s home to conduct a welfare check.
On Aug. 26, family members did a check of his room in the center revealing his belongings were still there.
On Sept. 2, an anonymous staff member at the rehab center contacted the family and told them that his body was found in another room. He was identified by the wristband that had his name on it.
“I was told by an insider that they found him in either inside a storage room or the library and he was dead,” said Bruce. “They had identified our uncle because he was still wearing his nursing home bracelet. Now we are just waiting for an autopsy report to see what the cause of death was.”
NMPD confirmed Etienne’s body was discovered in a storage closet.
“The detective told us the reason why he would not let us see the body because it had deteriorated and decomposed so much, that he didn’t want us to have that image in our head.”
On Monday, 7News was outside the center as the medical examiner removed Etienne’s body.
The family says the administrators are refusing to speak to them.
“The entire family is here and there’s been no answers,” said Kimberly.
“I understand the nursing home is aware that we’re aware but I think the acknowledgment would be more humane. To just let us know this is what happened, but due to embarrassment I guess they’re not talking,” said Bruce.
Police were seen at the rehab center throughout the day as they continued the investigation.
Family members are now waiting to learn exactly what caused their loved one’s death, fearing he went days without food, water and his medication.
“That’s horrifying because that means he died alone and he died suffering,” said Bruce.
On Tuesday, family members were seen across the street from the rehab center with signs reading “Justice for Elin Etienne.”
“A body was there, a corpse for 12 days. The health department should be out here,” said Kimberly.
According to Medicare.gov, the rehab center has a two out of five star overall rating. When it comes to health inspections, they received one star out of five.
The site indicates the center has been hit with over $23,000 in federal fines over the past three years.
“We, as the community, need to come together and make sure our most vulnerable are taken care of,” said Kimberly.
It is unclear how long Etienne was at the rehab center.
Heartbroken, the family is now stressing the importance of checking in on your loved ones.
“I can’t urge this enough if you have family members here at the North Dade Rehabilitation Center, please come check on your loved ones,” said Kimberly. “We were here knocking, yelling, screaming, begging, just pleading with them. Let us his room, let us see what’s going on and they would not. It wasn’t until the body was discovered that we’ve gotten this far.”
The rehab center released a statement on Tuesday:Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family members affected by this devastating event. At North Dade Nursing and Rehab, we are deeply committed to the health, well-being and safety of our residents, above all else. Our team is cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities, including law enforcement and our state regulatory partners. We are compassionate caregivers, and that will help get us through this difficult experience. At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring our residents continue receiving the high-quality care they have come to expect from our facility.
Administrators at the rehab center denied 7News request to comment.
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