New York woman dies after being assaulted by hospital roommate

A Bronx, NY woman has died after being brutally attacked by her hospital roommate, according to NYPD.

Cynthia Vann, 55, was reportedly undergoing liver treatment at Lincoln Hospital in Mott Haven when she was assaulted in her sleep on Sept. 10. The attack left her with severe head injuries, requiring emergency surgery, according to News 12.

Vann remained hospitalized for two weeks before succumbing to her injuries on Sept. 27. The city medical examiner ruled her death a homicide caused by blunt force trauma to the head.

Her daughter, Taneisha Vann, says the hospital failed to protect her mother from a known threat. “She didn’t deserve this,” Taneisha told News 12. “No one deserves to be assaulted at a hospital while you’re sleeping. You’re supposed to feel safe.”

Hospital officials reportedly informed the family that Vann’s roommate had a documented history of violent behavior. However, it remains unclear whether the suspect has been charged.

“I’m angry with the hospital that allowed this situation to happen,” Taneisha said. “My mom was my support system. She was really all I had.”

The tragedy unfolded just days before another deadly incident at a Coney Island nursing home. On Sept. 14, 95-year-old Galina Smirnova allegedly bludgeoned her 89-year-old roommate, Nina Kravtsov, with a metal wheelchair pedal.

Kravtsov, a Holocaust survivor, was found with severe head injuries and died the next morning at NYU Brooklyn Hospital. Smirnova was arrested and charged with murder and weapons possession. She was ordered held at Bellevue Hospital’s jail ward.

Both cases have sparked outrage and renewed calls for stronger safeguards in medical and long-term care facilities. Taneisha Vann, still grieving, noted her mother’s upcoming birthday on Oct. 9. “She’ll be 56. It’s difficult. She didn’t deserve that.”