Two nursing home staff indicted after 73-year-old died of hypothermia during Winter Storm Uri
Travis County prosecutors allege facility staff left resident with an open window and failed to check on her as power failed in February 2021
Two staff members at an Austin-area nursing home were indicted Thursday after prosecutors said a 73-year-old resident died of hypothermia during Winter Storm Uri after being left alone in a room with an open window.
Cynthia "Cindy" Pierce was rushed to a hospital in Austin on Feb. 17, 2021, with a recorded body temperature of 94.2 degrees Fahrenheit and later died of hypothermia, according to court documents reviewed by the Daily Mail and statements from the Travis County District Attorney's Office. The documents say care staff at the Renaissance Austin Assisted Living Facility changed Pierce out of soiled clothing and bedding the morning the storm hit but left a window open and did not check on her again until the afternoon.
The facility lost power during the storm. Pierce's family accused the nursing home of failing to take appropriate measures to ensure her safety and of not restoring power to the building during the outage, the court documents and local reporting said.
On Thursday, prosecutors in Travis County announced indictments against Harvest Renaissance and two employees identified as the facility's executive director, Mendi Ramsay, and its wellness director, Rochelle Alvarado. The indictment alleges the defendants failed to "promptly move" the resident, according to the documents. The Travis County District Attorney's Office did not immediately provide additional details about the specific charges or counts.
The documents reviewed by reporters say staff changed Pierce's clothing and bedding in the morning of Feb. 17, 2021, and that a window remained open when they left the room. They did not return to check on her until later that afternoon, by which time she required emergency medical treatment. The death was attributed to hypothermia in official records cited in the court filings.
Winter Storm Uri swept across large parts of the United States in February 2021, causing widespread power outages in Texas and exposing vulnerabilities in the state's power grid and in some long-term care settings. The storm prompted investigations and lawsuits related to care provided in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities where outages and harsh conditions affected residents.
Pierce's family has publicly criticized the facility's response, saying staff did not take steps to protect residents during the outage or to promptly restore heat and power. Facility officials have previously defended their actions during the storm, and Harvest Renaissance has not issued a new public statement in response to the indictments as of Thursday.
The Travis County District Attorney's Office will determine whether to proceed with prosecution following standard pretrial procedures. Indictments are formal accusations and not proof of guilt. Court records and comments from attorneys for the defendants were not immediately available to provide additional context or responses to the allegations.
The case highlights scrutiny of long-term care providers' emergency preparedness and response during extreme weather events, and it may influence ongoing discussions and oversight concerning resident safety in assisted-living and nursing home settings. Legal proceedings in the matter are expected to unfold in the coming weeks and months as the county pursues the case.