A 25-year-old Tacoma man is accused of nearly beating a fellow patient to death inside a secured psychiatric hospital, leaving the victim in critical condition and not breathing on her own.
Elias Santos Salcedo was arrested Saturday, March 14, and charged in Pierce County Superior Court with attempted murder in the first degree. He remained in custody at the Pierce County Jail as of Tuesday, March 17.
The alleged attack happened earlier that day inside Wellfound Behavioral Health on South 19th Street in Tacoma, where both Salcedo and the victim were patients, according to charging documents obtained by Puget Press.
Tacoma Police responded around 8:12 p.m. after receiving a report that a female patient had been assaulted and was unconscious. When officers arrived, staff had already secured Salcedo in a room, and he was taken into custody without incident.
The victim, identified in court documents as a 63-year-old woman, suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center, according to prosecutors. As of the latest update, she was not breathing on her own and remained in critical condition.
Detectives say surveillance video captured the attack inside a hallway between patient rooms and a nurse’s station. The footage shows Salcedo pacing before allegedly striking the victim without provocation, knocking her to the ground and repeatedly hitting her in the head and face, according to the probable cause declaration.
Prosecutors allege Salcedo continued the assault multiple times, even after briefly walking away, and used a forceful two-handed motion to strike the victim, according to the declaration. Medical staff and other patients eventually intervened and subdued him.
Witnesses told police the attack appeared unprovoked, and several staff members described responding to emergency calls and attempting to stop the assault while providing medical care to the victim.
Authorities noted significant blood at the scene, including pooling in the hallway and spatter on nearby surfaces.
Salcedo was initially booked for assault before prosecutors formally charged him with attempted murder, alleging he took a substantial step toward intentionally causing the victim’s death. Officials noted the charge could be elevated to murder if the victim dies from her injuries.
Because the incident occurred inside a psychiatric facility, prosecutors are requesting a forensic mental health evaluation of Salcedo, according to court filings.
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