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REPORT: Elderly Woman Dies After Being Served Dishwashing Liquid At Senior Living Facility

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Sarah Wilder Social Issues Reporter
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A 93-year-old woman died after consuming dishwashing liquid at a nursing home facility in San Mateo Sunday night, California, ABC7 reported.

Employees at the facility say two other residents were hospitalized after ingesting the toxic chemical.

“We can confirm three of our residents were recently transported to the hospital after mistakenly being served dishwashing liquid as drinking juice,” Atria senior living facility said in a statement, according to the outlet.

A woman who was considering placing her husband in the facility says she won’t consider doing this after the incident. (RELATED: Cambridge Police Officer Charged With DUI After Running Red Light, Striking 3 Motorcyclists)

“I will not consider this assisted living facility any longer,” June Lee told the outlet. “Did they mention anything about the incident? No, the sales director did not mention the incident.”

San Mateo District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said he did not believe the incident was intentional.

“At least at this point anyway, we concluded that whatever occurred we don’t think at this point, doesn’t mean we rule anything out, but at this point we don’t think it was an intentional act by someone trying to harm people,” Wagstaffe said.

The nursing home staff could, however, be guilty of negligence.

“If it was people not being careful with the liquids and people suffered harm or death by it, that would be of course could be a very significant lawsuit out of it. Technically there is a thing in the criminal law called criminal negligence,” Wagstaffe told the outlet.