Heat Death of Mental Patient Investigated

San Bernardino County prosecutors have launched an investigation to determine whether criminal negligence contributed to the death of a mental patient who had been subjected to 110-degree heat while locked in a room at Patton State Hospital.

Francisco Morfin, 23, of Los Angeles died last September shortly after being found slumped in a chair with a body temperature of 104.6 degrees, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Jim Hackleman.

The coroner’s office attributed Morfin’s death to a toxic effect related to the drug lithium, widely prescribed for people with mental disorders. A deputy coroner said toxicity was caused by the combination of the high room temperature, dehydration caused by lithium and clogged arteries.