TRENTON – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), and the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor (OIFP) announced today that the director of nursing at a rehabilitation center in Ocean County, New Jersey, was arraigned on charges of assaulting one of the facility’s residents and attempting to cover it up.

Patricia Linda-Ahono, 59, of Irvington, New Jersey, was indicted by a state grand jury on July 23, 2025, with two counts of aggravated assault (2nd and 3rd degree), neglect of an elderly or disabled adult (3rd degree), tampering with witnesses (3rd degree), assault on an institutionalized elderly person (4th degree), and falsifying records (4th degree). She was arrested July 24, 2025 and arraigned on Oct. 6, 2025.

“Residents of adult care facilities need to be treated with respect and dignity, and be safe,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Physically assaulting a resident is inexcusable, and we will not stand by and allow such conduct to go undetected.”

“The allegations in this indictment are extremely troubling,” said DCJ Director Theresa L. Hilton. “Not only is the defendant charged with a violent physical assault, but she also allegedly took steps to hide her actions. This cannot be allowed, and we are prosecuting this case accordingly.”

“When information about this incident came to light, our office immediately began investigating,” said Interim Insurance Fraud Prosecutor Al Garcia. “Resident safety is a top priority, and we have zero tolerance for anyone who would jeopardize the well-being of individuals living in a rehabilitation facility.”

According to documents filed in this case, on June 24, 2023, a physical altercation occurred between Director of Nursing Patricia Lindo-Ahono and a resident, E.N.J., at Crystal Lake Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, in Bayville, New Jersey. A nurse recorded a video of the incident that took place in a hallway on the 5th floor of the facility. The video allegedly shows Lindo-Ahono hitting the victim with a broom and the victim’s left hand dripping blood. Lindo-Ahono allegedly says, “Call (staff member) (inaudible) before I kill this man.”

Lindo-Ahono later completed an incident report alleging the event took place on June 20, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. In the report, Lindo-Ahono allegedly claimed the victim attempted to scratch her using the head of a blue disposable razor. Lindo-Ahono also claimed that she used the broom to swat the object away. The video does not show the victim holding a razor or any weapon in either hand. Staff members who were present at the time of the incident said that they never saw a weapon in the victim’s hand.

Lindo-Ahono also allegedly claimed that police and emergency services were called and that the victim was transported by ambulance to the hospital for evaluation. Current and former staff members confirmed that Lindo-Ahono allegedly said not to call the police and that the situation had been handled. Lindo-Ahono also wrote in the incident report that she notified the Department of Health (DOH), the Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman (LTCO), the Office of Public Guardian (OPG), and the physician. The LTCO, OPG, and DOH confirmed that they were not notified.

After the video was released to the public, the Berkeley Township Police Department (BTPD) and the OIFP’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) began investigating the matter. On December 21, 2024, as BTPD officers were speaking with the on-duty supervisor about the incident, Lindo-Ahono allegedly called the supervisor in response to a message about the officers’ presence. The on-duty supervisor answered the call, and when Lindo-Ahono asked if she was on speakerphone, the supervisor said no. Officers then heard Lindo-Ahono say, “You don’t remember anything, right?”

Detectives Alyssa Singh and Daniel Creighton investigated this case under the supervision of Sergeant Justin Callahan, Lieutenant Joseph Jaruszewski, and Deputy Chief Rich King. DAG Camille McKnight is prosecuting the case under the direction of Assistant Bureau Chief Michael Klein and Bureau Chief Heather Hadley.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.

Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

Fourth-degree offenses carry a sentence of up to 18 months in state prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

New Jersey MFCU’s total funding for federal fiscal year (FY) 2025 is $12.63 million. Of that total, 75 percent is awarded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The remaining 25 percent is funded by the State of New Jersey.

If you suspect Medicaid fraud or elder abuse and neglect, report it here Medicaid Fraud or Elder Abuse & Neglect Reporting Form or contact us by phone at (609) 292-1272 or via email at NJMFCU@njdcj.org. Your report can make a difference.

Defense counsel: Marco Antonio Figueiredo Esq., Hillside, New Jersey