No one will be arrested for homicide at Leewood assisted living facility

The Leewood assisted living facility at 7120 Braddock Road in Annandale.

The death of a resident of the Leewood Healthcare Center in Annandale nearly seven months ago has been ruled a homicide but no action will be taken because the perpetrator has dementia.

According to the Fairfax County Police Department, Danielle Griffin, 87, was pushed to the ground by another Leewood resident during an argument on May 8. Griffin was taken to Inova Fairfax Hospital where she was diagnosed with a fractured hip. She was treated and released on May 13.

On June 15, at around 3:30 a.m., Leewood staff discovered Griffin lying in bed complaining of shortness of breath. Staff called 911 and Griffin was again transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where her condition declined rapidly, and she was pronounced dead at about 5:43 a.m. It was later determined that she had dementia and hypertension.

Following an autopsy performed in October, the Fairfax County Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reported the manner of Griffin’s death to be homicide. The cause of death was “complications of a hip fracture with extensive additional contributing medical conditions.”

Detectives with the FCPD Homicide Squad determined the female resident who had pushed Griffin also suffers from diminished mental capacity.

During the course of the investigation, detectives have been in consultation with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Fairfax County to determine the appropriate course of action. “At this point, given the totality of the circumstances, no charges are expected to be placed in this case,” FCPD reports.