Police Investigate Other Suspicious Deaths Related To Fake Nurse

Authorities in Costa Rica are looking into the possibility of two more deaths attributed to the same former nurse who took the life of a patient at the San Juan de Dios hospital on Monday.



According to unofficial reports, investigators are looking into the possibility that Angela Barrantes Moreno may have had a hand into two other questionable deaths.

One of the deaths is that of a resident of Los Contadores in Calle Fallas, who died in July in the intensive care unit of the San Juan de Dios hospital, where apparently also dressed as a nurse, was visited by Barrantes on several occasions. In that case, the family, which remains anonymous, had asked hospital security to remove the woman.

Homicide investigators are said to be investigating both the relationship  and the apparent calls made by the woman to the family of Lillian Arias Prendas, before and after her death on Monday, asking the family to tell hospital authorities that she was family to streamline procedures within the medical centre.

For Lillian's daughters the news of possibly more deaths does not seem unusual, saying that the claims of friendship by Barrantes with their mother is false.

Barrantes was detained by OIJ on Tuesday. A court hearing is scheduled this morning where she face charges of murder and faces a penalty of 20 to 35 years in prison.

Authorities had been looking into the version by Barrantes whose claims is that her neighbour and friend had asked her to kill her, making it an act of mercy, which in Costa Rica carries a penalty of only six months to three years in prison.

On Wednesday and combined with the statements by the victim's family, authorities discarded the mercy killing theory and charged the woman with murder.