Will Charges be Brought Against Collin Francis for Death of Nestor Vasquez Jr.

Collin Francis

While the Vasquez family is also seeking a revision of antiquated legislation dealing with the treatment of persons with mental illness, they are hoping that the Director of Public Prosecutions will decide on whether to bring charges against Collin Francis for the murder of their brother.  According to Jules Vasquez, notwithstanding Francis’ mental state, a charge of attempted murder was previously laid on Francis following the vicious stabbing of Nurse Augustina Elijio at the Port Loyola Health Center a few days earlier.

Jules Vasquez, Brother of Deceased

Jules Vasquez

“The third thing that we would like to lobby for and that we are making public today is that there be the creation of what is called a forensic unit and perhaps it could go hand in hand with the Palm Center.  The forensic unit is for persons who are a danger to themselves and to others, to be placed there on a medium-term basis.  We don’t want to create a facility where the mentally ill are just warehoused and just left there, like what we grew up with, the concept of Rockview and Seaview, but there are persons who are sometimes in a state that they are a threat to other persons and themselves.  And what is technically known as a forensic unit would be created for the secure treatment of persons who are in this state. There has not been any charge.  We have been pushing very consistently at the police and the file just went back to the DPP on Friday.  So the file went to the DPP, the DPP sent it back for additional pieces to be filled it and the police sent it back on Friday.  The file is currently with the DPP and as the family has stated that is our position, we want, we insist, we demand that criminal charges be brought against those police officers who, in our mind, from the video we saw, acted in a deliberate way to put my brother in the lion’s den.  Now, what do we do about the person that harmed him?  That is another case and that’s a decision for the DPP; however, that person, Mr. Francis, was charged for attempted murder, that’s why he was there.  Obviously, the DPP saw it fit that he could face the charge of attempted murder for Nurse Elijio.”