A Marlborough man working as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) has been indicted and arraigned in connection with allegations that he physically and verbally assaulted an elderly dementia patient at the Arlington rehabilitation and skilled nursing facility where he worked, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced. Tonny Kiyaga, 47, of Marlborough, was arraigned Thursday in Middlesex County Superior Court on charges of Assault and Battery on an Elder or Disabled Person, Witness Intimidation, and Threatening to Commit a Crime. Following Kiyaga’s not guilty plea at the arraignment, Magistrate Judge Daniel Flaherty required Kiyaga to stay away from and have no contact with the victim and his family, to stay away from and have no contact with witnesses, and to not provide services in a healthcare setting without another employee being present.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the AG’s Medicaid Fraud Division and detectives from the Arlington Police Department, based on a referral from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Investigators allege that, on August 29, 2021, Kiyaga assaulted the elderly dementia patient, and after the patient cried out, another employee of the facility witnessed Kiyaga shove and intimidate the patient and threaten to assault him again. Following an internal investigation of the alleged assault, Kiyaga’s employment was terminated; his nursing license has been suspended as a result of this incident.
