DRYDEN -- A resident of a group home in Tompkins County is dead after an altercation with staff members.
New York State Police in Ithaca tell CNY Central that on Wednesday a resident of the William George Agency in the Town of Dryden ‘became unresponsive’ after a physical incident with staff members. Troopers say around 7:18 p.m. Tompkins County 911 received a call requesting an ambulance to the facility. Once they arrived, emergency personnel found 20-year-old Alexis Javier Cirino-Rodriquez of Syracuse receiving CPR from staffers.
Cirino-Rodriquez was taken by ambulance to Cortland Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy was conducted Thursday in Binghamton, and the results are pending.
The agency released a statement Thursday in reponse to Cirino-Rodriquez's death, saying "This tragic event marks a time of sorrow and grief throughout our campus. At this time both internal and external investigations are being conducted as appropriate to the situation." They advised that further information on the incident will be released as it becomes available.
The William George Agency is a facility licensed by the New York State Office of Child and Family Services. According to its website, the agency houses boys between the ages of 12-17 who are referred by county departments of probation, social services, school districts, and the Office of Children and Family Services.
