Family of 26-year-old Houston man murdered at mental health care facility demanding answers
HOUSTON - "He was trying to be a better person he was trying to do right for himself," said Melissa Allya Kauri Allya's sister.
Kauri's relatives say he called 911 to get help.
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"That's what our hopes were that he was going to get help and be helped," said Kauri's sister Nora McClain. "But he wasn't, he was murdered."
Relatives say Kauri was high-functioning autistic.
They believe he has only been at Houston Behavioral Health Care Hospital at 2801 Gessner for about 10 hours when his roommate 31-year-old Daniel Bonito allegedly beat and strangled him.
"This facility knew ahead of time before Kauri became a patient there that Eric Benito was a violent patient," said attorney Mark Weycer.
"I screamed with all my lungs. I couldn't accept it. I thought it was a nightmare what they were telling me," said Kauri's mother Nora Allaya. "Every single day since he passed away, I've been suffering."
"Someone in that hospital is negligent. The hospital itself is negligent," said Melissa. "They did not take care of him like they should have."
Houston Behavioral Health Care Hospital declined comment.
Benito was out on bond for a charge of assaulting a health care worker.
His bond for the murder charge set at $500,000.