LEWISTON, ID – A 54-year-old Las Vegas woman who allegedly attempted to kill her elderly father at the Idaho State Veteran’s Home in February has been indicted by a Nez Perce County grand jury. The Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office convened the grand jury last week and jurors returned with an indictment for Sandra McCarty of Attempted Murder in the First Degree. She is expected to be arraigned in Lewiston’s Second District Court on June 15th at 1:30 p.m.
According to a Probable Cause Affidavit, the home’s visitor log showed McCarty allegedly arrived at the home at about 7:30 a.m. and was discovered by a member of the nursing staff a short time later “straddling” her 81-year-old dad and “pushing down on his mouth.”
Call comments also stated that the CNA who found McCarty told her to get off of the man, who reportedly told the CNA that McCarty was “trying to kill him.”
By the time officers arrived on the scene, McCarty had already left. Officers made contact with nursing staff, as well as the alleged victim who told officers that he awakened to find McCarty on top of him.
“[He] told a detective “when McCarty was on top of him, each of her knees was on each of his arms, keeping them pinned down,” the document adds.
“She had removed his CPAP mask which he normally sleeps with and had both of her hands over his nose and mouth,” the affidavit says.
The CNA told officers she responded to the man’s room because his call light had been activated.
“When she entered the room she observed McCarty with her hands over [his] nose and mouth,” the document says. “[She] said at first she thought McCarty was trying to do CPR on [him] because she was making a pushing motion against his body, but then she observed his arms flailing about. [The CNA] reported yelling to McCarty, “Oh my God, get off of him!” and she could then see that McCarty’s hands were over [his] mouth and nose,” according to the affidavit.
After she yelled at McCarty, McCarty reportedly jumped off of the bed and then said something to the effect of, “I was grabbing his face mask,” the document says. McCarty then reportedly left his room.
McCarty was contacted by staff members and was asked to write a statement about what occurred, which she reportedly signed and dated.
When she was notified that law enforcement had been called, McCarty left the building and drove away in a newer red Ford Mustang convertible.
Officers then began the process of pinging McCarty’s cell phone and coordinating efforts to locate her. She was found shortly thereafter and taken into custody.
At about 10:20 a.m., detectives spoke with McCarty at the Lewiston Police Department.
“McCarty said she entered her father’s room and set her purse down. She said [he] exhaled for about 30 seconds. She indicated she thought [he] was dying. She said she saw his Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine mask was not on his face correctly, but described it as still being on his head. McCarty said she panicked and jumped on top of [him]. She said she was screaming “Daddy wake up.” McCarty said she tried to put the CPAP mask on her father, but he was fighting it. As she said this she thrashed her head from side to side demonstrating his motion. McCarty said [the] woman came in and pushed her off of her father,” the affidavit says.
