A 55-year-old woman, Cynthia Vann, was beaten to death by her hospital roommate, an emotionally disturbed patient with a history of violence, according to police sources.
Vann had checked into NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln for a medical condition when she was punched multiple times in the head around 3 a.m. on September 10, the NYPD reported.
The suspect, 44-year-old Racquel Haughton, allegedly attacked Vann while she slept. Vann was intubated in the ICU but later died on September 27 from blunt force trauma, with the incident ruled a homicide by the medical examiner.
Authorities are still searching for Haughton, who disappeared while the Bronx District Attorney’s Office was investigating.
Haughton reportedly had a history of hospital violence, including attacking a nurse in July 2025 and assaulting a patient care associate on September 11, the day after Vann’s fatal attack. During that incident, she allegedly slapped the patient care associate and said, “Why did you squeeze my hand so hard?”
Court records indicate Haughton was arrested and charged in both prior incidents and released without bail for the July assault. She allegedly assaulted a fellow inmate during her arraignment for the September 11 incident.
NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The victim’s family declined to comment.
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