Thousand Oaks nursing home resident arrested on suspicion of killing his roommate

A resident of a Thousand Oaks nursing home has been arrested on suspicion of killing his roommate, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies responded at 4:40 a.m. Friday to a call from the Silverado memory care facility on Warwick Avenue about a resident who was agitated and had broken a window, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.

The deputies found the resident Thomas Buckley, 58, in a common area of the facility and detained him, authorities said. The nursing home’s staff then checked on his roommate, Michael Patterson, 72. The workers found that Patterson had severe injuries, which appeared to be caused by an assault.

Paramedics were called to the scene and Patterson was pronounced dead a short time later, authorities said.

Investigators said that before deputies arrived, Buckley had assaulted one of the facility’s workers, causing minor injuries.

Patterson’s death is being investigated as a homicide. The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of death.

Buckley was booked on suspicion of murder, assault with a deadly weapon and vandalism, the Sheriff’s Department said. He remains in custody and his bail was set at $2 million. His arraignment hearing is scheduled for Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in Ventura County Superior Court.

Silverado issued a statement about the incident on Sunday.

“Our thoughts are with the families and all those impacted by this tragedy,” said Jeff Frum, a spokesperson for Silverado. “The safety and well being of our residents and staff is our top priority, and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident should contact Det. Gerardo Cruz at (805) 384-4726 or Det. Erik Hernandez at (805) 384-4729.