California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

[alert]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy pending

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy pending

The link in post #18 is now functional again.

 

[alert]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy pending

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy pending

http://malibu.patch.com/articles/rodas-family-still-waiting-for-answers

Rodas Family Still Waiting For Answers, Autopsy Results Sealed
Family members of former Guido's employee Carlos Ivan Rodas, who died the night of March 18, have not received a copy of the autopsy report.

snip

Carlos Ivan Rodas was reportedly found in a pool of blood outside the Malibu restaurant where he worked on March 18. The death had initially been reported as a shooting and then a severe beating.

The Sheriff's Department commented shortly after that Rodas died from an upper respiratory disease and that no foul play was involved, leaving the media and Malibu residents, as well as Rodas' family, to question why there was a significant amount of blood at the scene.

snip

Autopsy details from the coroner's office were sealed by the request of the sheriff's department, where a spokesman said the case had been closed and
the autopsy remained sealed to avoid further public confusion.

more at above link...

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Very bad public health communication.

 

[JimO]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Can they do that if no crime was committed?

 

[mixin]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

I'll second Jim's question. Actually, I think anyone who has read this should ask that question.

This whole thing is just really strange; is it that hard to tell the difference between a murder and a respiratory illness?

Homicide detectives later publicly apologized to the city council, and explained that the murder reports went out because that's what witnesses had called in. Detectives also explained that sheriff's deputies are not trained medical examiners, and could not be expected to have made a diagnosis of the man where he fell in the restaurant parking lot.

 

[JimO]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

I would imagine that if a reportable infectious disease was involved, it would have to be reported to the CDC and, hopefully, eventually show up on the MMWR.

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

I just called the coroner's office. The lady in the investigations office would not release any information to me because I am not the next of kin. She referred me to the public relations office where I left a message identifying myself and asking about the status of the autopsy. The voice message does say that they will return calls. So, we will see.....

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

I did not receive a return phone call today. I will call back again tomorrow.

 

[alert]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

At least they are still trying to determine a cause:

http://malibusurfsidenews.com/stories/201205/201205030007.html

Cause of Death for Malibu Restaurant Employee Still 'Deferred'
• Toxicity Testing Has Not Been Completed
BY ANNE SOBLE
It has been six weeks since the blood-splattered body of Carlos Ivan Rodas was discovered yards from an entrance to Guido's restaurant where he was employed in the kitchen and the cause of the 32-year-old's mysterious death is still designated as "deferred" by the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.

DOC spokesperson Chief Coroner Investigator and Chief of Operations Craig Harvey informed the Malibu Surfside News this week that the toxicology and tissue analysis reports for Rodas are not yet complete.

Harvey indicated that an official cause of death for the ostensibly healthy-appearing Rodas will not be determined, if a cause can be determined, until that test data has been analyzed. Earlier Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department statements about the possibility of a respiratory infection being a factor were never confirmed.

The chief of operations added, "It can take up to eight weeks or more, depending on the tests ordered, before a case may be closed."

Harvey noted that the LASD has removed its hold on DOC information about the Rodas case, which should mean that the coroner will make any final determination in the case public.

That it can take months to get a final determination on a cause of death is evident even when it's for one of the coroner's department's own.

Last week it was announced that the tests to try to confirm a cause of death for DOC official Michael Cormier, who allegedly might have died of poisoning (accidental or otherwise), would take months to complete and this case also was given deferred status.

 

[alert]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy completed and sealed

http://malibusurfsidenews.com/stories/201205/201205310003.html

Still No Official Cause in Guido's Employee Death in Malibu
? Man Died Mysteriously 10 Weeks Ago
BY ANNE SOBLE
Although it has been over two months since the puzzling death of Carlos Ivan Rodas, a kitchen employee at Guido's restaurant, the official cause of death is still listed as deferred, the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner terminology when a cause of death has not been determined.

The blood-splattered body of 32-year-old Carlos Ivan Rodas was discovered yards from an entrance to the restaurant on March 18 and led to a mini-brouhaha of botched media statements by Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials and the appearance of investigation mishandling.

DOC spokesperson Chief Coroner Investigator and Chief of Operations Craig Harvey informed the Malibu Surfside News on Tuesday that the toxicology and tissue analysis reports for Rodas are not yet complete.

Harvey said, "I have an inquiry as to estimated closure to the deputy medical examiner pending his response. The DMEs are allowed up to 90 days to close cases before any red flags start flying."

Sources connected with the case have indicated that "more-than-usual" extensive testing is involved in the Rodas analysis, including tissue cultures.

Harvey indicated that an official cause of death would not be determined, if a cause could be determined, until that test data has been thoroughly analyzed.

During the preliminary LASD announcements in late March, there was a statement about the possibility of respiratory infection being a factor in the ostensibly healthy appearing man's demise. That supposition has not been repeated by the agency since then.

Harvey had earlier noted that the LASD has removed its security hold on DOC information about the Rodas case, which should mean that the coroner can make any final determination in the case public.

 

[alert]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy results pending

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Autopsy results pending

Well, this is new:

http://malibusurfsidenews.com/stories/201206/201206070004.html

Man's Brain Currently Being Examined for Clues to Death
? Determination of Cause Is Elusive
BY ANNE SOBLE
It has been almost three months since the body of Carlos Ivan Rodas covered in blood was discovered near an entrance to Guido's restaurant where he was employed in the kitchen.

The cause of the 32-year-old's death on March 18 has proved to be difficult to determine and is designated as "deferred" by the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner.

When the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department found itself the subject of public and city criticism for issuing statements about the case without verification and giving the appearance of careless detective work, the agency put a security hold on all DOC dissemination of information on the case that has since been removed.

Chief Coroner Investigator and Chief of Operations Craig Harvey recently indicated to the Malibu Surfside News, "The case is still deferred, but the specific reason right now is neuropathy (brain tissue studies)."

Harvey said, "It takes about three weeks just to get the brain 'fixed' before you can do a proper neuropathy examination. To 'fix' the brain requires a solution of formalin in a container with the brain, which changes the consistency of the tissue, but does not alter the findings."

The DOC spokesperson added, " We have neuropathy consultants that do most of these studies. The studies take several weeks to complete."

Although family and friend reports describe Rodas as being in good health, early statements by the LASD made reference to the possibility of a respiratory infection being a factor in the sudden and inexplicable death.

Neuropathological tissue studies can reveal brain degeneration, as well as the existence of hard-to-detect infections that can elude traditional blood chemistry analysis used for this kind of disease.

Harvey said that an official cause of death for Rodas would not be determined, if a cause even can be determined, until all test data has been analyzed.

 

[Shiloh]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

Source: http://www.malibutimes.com/articles/2012/06/21/malibu_now/malibunow1.txt

Rodas died of lung infection, coroner says
Published:
Thursday, June 21, 2012 12:46 PM PDT

Carlos Ivan Rodas, a kitchen worker at Guido's restaurant who was found dead outside of the restaurant in March, died of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, coroners officials said Wednesday. Reportedly, hemorrhaging from the lung infection caused him to collapse after coughing up a substantial amount of blood. Officials say a full report should be available in a couple of weeks...

 

[alert]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

Amazing find, Shiloh. So the initial report was accurate after all.

The article further indicates that Mr. Rodas tested negative for tuberculosis.

 

[alert]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

Or did he have TB after all?

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/06/malibu-restaurant-worker-died-of-natural-causes.html

Malibu restaurant worker died of natural causes
June 20, 2012 | 5:13 pm 50The Los Angeles County coroner's department has concluded that a Malibu restaurant worker who was found dead in a pool of blood in March died of natural causes.

The Sheriff's Department initially reported that Carlos Ivan Rodas, 32, had been shot or beaten in front of Guido's restaurant on Cross Creek Road after he was sent to dispose of trash. Detectives three days later said he had died of an upper respiratory infection.

In a release Wednesday, the coroner's office said an autopsy showed that Rodas died of a hemorrhage resulting from a fungal infection in his lungs. The condition was an outgrowth of tuberculosis, for which Rodas had been successfully treated.
"No trauma was noted and foul play is not suspected," the release said. A final report is expected within two weeks.

---------------

http://blogs.laweekly.com/informer/2012/06/carlos_ivan_rodas_malibu_death.php

He succumbed, officials said, to "hemorrhage from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis" and "sequelae of cavitary tuberculosis (treated)." Say what now?

We googled that [expletive deleted]. The first thing? Infection of the lungs. It often affects people with HIV.

The second thing? The effects of having tuberculosis, essentially.

Murder in Malibu? Not this year.

 

[JimO]

Re: California - Malibu Restaurant Worker Found in Pool of Blood Reportedly Died of Respiratory Disease - Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis

Aspergilis is a genus of molds that are found in damp places in structures - one of the "toxic molds" that can make people very sick. I don't believe it is a fungal infection of the body, but it produces aerosol toxins. So, perhaps his home contained mold.