LOCAL : Mental Patient Held in Death

A Camarillo State Hospital patient was being held today in connection with the death of a fellow patient after the two had fought, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said.

Mark W. Wagner, 37, was found dead in his bed at 5:15 a.m. Monday by attendants at the psychiatric hospital who had checked on him periodically after a 4 a.m. fight with Michael Thomas, 37, a patient in the same unit, Lt. Joe Harwell said.

“It appears that the two had argued earlier, which resulted in Thomas attacking the victim and knocking him to the ground,” Harwell said.

Another patient called for help and attendants separated the two. Wagner was examined by the hospital’s medical staff, Harwell said. “At that time he was thought to be all right,” he said.

“He was checked out. He seemed OK,” said John Fortner, a spokesman for the hospital.

About an hour after the fight, an attendant noticed that Wagner had stopped breathing, and efforts to revive him failed. Thomas was arrested and taken to the county jail in Ventura, where he was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Harwell said an autopsy was scheduled for later today.