OAK PARK : Parents Sue County Over Slaying of Boy
The parents of an Oak Park boy who died of stab wounds last year have sued Ventura County, an ambulance service and a hospital, claiming negligence and malpractice in his death.
In the lawsuit filed Thursday in Ventura County Superior Court, Mary and Edward Hastings allege that their son, Craig D. Hastings, 16, received inadequate care from Pruner Health Services, Westlake Medical Center and Ventura County sheriff’s deputies and firefighters.
Craig died Sept. 8 at Westlake Medical Center, two days after he was stabbed in the groin with a dagger mounted on a set of metal knuckles. The wound, which he received during a scuffle outside a condominium complex, was only an inch deep, but a crucial blood vessel was struck.
Philip S. Holsborg, 21, was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in Craig’s death. He was sentenced Tuesday to five years in state prison.
The suit alleges that county emergency workers, Pruner paramedics, and Westlake Medical Center staff did not act quickly enough to save Craig. The suit, which does not specify damages, seeks to have defendants pay for hospital and funeral bills, among other expenses.
Pruner Operations Manager Nicolas Rideout declined to comment. County officials and Westlake Medical Center’s risk manager, Linda Dobi, could not be reached for comment.
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