MAPLE SHADE – Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Maple Shade Police Chief Christopher J. Fletcher announced that a township man has been charged with Attempted Murder (First Degree) after severely beating his elderly roommate at the care facility where they reside.
David P. Lake, 51, is a resident of The Palace Rehabilitation and Care Center in the 300 block of West Mill Road. He was taken into custody yesterday and lodged in the Burlington County Jail in Mount Holly pending a detention hearing in Superior Court.
The investigation began after Maple Shade police and the Maple Shade First Aid Squad were dispatched to the facility on the morning of January 17 on a report of an assault.
The investigation revealed that Lake had attacked his 78-year-old roommate, who is immobile and non-verbal, while the victim was in his bed in their room.
The victim was transported to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was listed in critical but stable condition, with severe facial trauma and bleeding on his brain. Lake was taken to a separate medical facility for a psychiatric evaluation.
The investigation was conducted by the Maple Shade Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office. The lead investigators are MSPD Det. Brian Martino and BCPO Det. Jen Marchese.
All persons are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.