Aides charged in Elgin Mental Health Center death

Abuse charges have been authorized against two Elgin Mental Health Center workers accused in the June food allergy death of a patient.

Virdia M. Spain, 53, of Belvidere, and Iluminada S. Tuzon, 67, of Elgin, each are being charged with one count of abuse of a long-term health care facility resident, a Class 3 felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

According to court documents, the hospital aides were criminally negligent and reckless in the care of 58-year-old Howard Morris of Chicago.

Morris went into anaphylactic shock and died June 20 after two workers fed him fish, despite warnings of his severe allergy, authorities said. Last month, a Kane County coroner's jury ruled the death homicide by negligence.

The Kane County State's Attorney's office, which authorized the charges, declined to comment Wednesday because Spain and Tuzon have yet to face the allegations in court. They have been summoned to appear Nov. 20.

Tom Green, spokesman for the Illinois Department of Human Services, which oversees the state health center, said he could not comment on pending court cases. He identified Tuzon and Spain as longtime therapy aides who have been employed by the hospital since the late 1980s. Both have been put on "diverted duty," he said.

"It means they're working off the unit where the incident occurred and they do not have patient contact but they are still working," Green said.

The health center at 750 S. State St. also has made procedural changes as a result of Morris' death, he added.

Morris, whose fish allergy had been known since the age of 2, went into shock after being fed from a color-coded tray that identified him as having an allergy and contained a card identifying the specific allergy, authorities said.

The coroner's office has said a gunshot injury to the head some time ago left Morris, an aspiring banker, unable to care for himself and also led to personality changes that at times caused him to be violent and hostile. In January, he was transferred to Elgin from a hospital in downstate Chester.

Tuzon, of the 1900 block of Mission Hills Drive, did not return a phone message Wednesday. Spain, of the 1400 block of Garfield Avenue, could not be reached. It was unclear if either woman has hired a lawyer.