The facility’s founder and three others face charges following the fatal explosion of a hyperbaric chamber at The Oxford Center in January.
Four people have been arrested in connection with the death of a 5-year-old boy who was inside a hyperbaric chamber when it exploded in January, according to multiple reports.
Tami Peterson, 58, the founder and CEO of The Oxford Center, in Troy, Mich, where the incident took place, was taken into custody early Monday and is expected to face charges of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter, FOX 2 Detroit reported.
Two others are also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter and second-degree murder, while a fourth faces charges of involuntary manslaughter and falsifying medical records, The Detroit News reported. The names of the other suspects have not been released pending their arraignment, scheduled for Tuesday, The Detroit Free Press reported.
The arrests stem from the Jan 31 incident at The Oxford Center in which a hyperbaric chamber exploded, killing Thomas Cooper, 5.
According to People.com, The Oxford Center is an alternative medical center that offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy for conditions that are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, including autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, bell’s palsy, and several other conditions.
The Oxford Center’s website notes that it opened in 2008 after Peterson “witnessed the healing potential of hyperbaric oxygen therapy” for her daughter, who lost all motor function due to viral encephalitis.
Requests for comment to The Oxford Center and Peterson’s attorney, Gerald J. Gleeson II, have not been immediately returned.
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