CALIFORNIA IN BRIEF : SACRAMENTO : Aides Suspended for Reporting Burglary

Two nursing assistants who supposedly ignored a supervisor’s warning to “stay out of neighborhood problems” were fired and then suspended by a convalescent hospital after one called police to report a burglary at a nearby market. “I can’t believe that someone would fire somebody for cooperating with police,” said Police Chief Jack Kearns. “If that’s what occurred, I will be talking with the management or owner of that convalescent home.” Vivian Woods and Phyllis Brown were fired after reporting a burglary across from the Royal Manor Convalescent home. Brown said she called from a patient’s room after a supervisor refused to call officers. Later, Brown ran over to talk to police. “We have 48 patients that we need to take care of first,” said Royal Manor administrator Karon Jordan said. “If you leave the facility and there’s no one to take care of them, then you’ve abandoned your job.” A regional administrator rescinded the firings and placed the women on leave pending an internal investigation.