Hidden-camera footage secretly recorded by a family appears to show an aide assaulting a Gulf War veteran inside the state-run New York State Veterans Home at Montrose. The veteran’s wife says she installed the camera herself after spotting unexplained bruises and what she describes as a rapid decline in his condition. The video, now in reporters’ hands, appears to show staff yanking food from his hands, tossing him into a chair, striking him with a broom and forcing him into a restraint while he cries out. The family says they are stunned by what they saw and are pressing state and federal officials for answers.
What the footage and complaint allege
The clip, along with a felony complaint reviewed by the Turn To Tara team, identifies the aide as Matthew Cox and, according to News 12 New York, appears to show him grabbing the veteran by the neck, forcefully restraining him and striking him. Angela Sangro, the veteran’s wife, told reporters she moved her husband from the federal VA unit to the state-run home across the campus. After seeing bruises and what she says looked like heavy sedation, she now calls that decision “the biggest mistake that I made.” The state Department of Health placed the employee on leave and later fired him, but a VA spokesman told the station that the aide remains employed by the federal VA while the criminal case moves forward.
Fines, inspections and regulatory findings
Federal inspection records show the Montrose facility has a recent track record of complaint-driven deficiencies. The home was hit with a civil-money penalty of about $29,153 after an April 3, 2025 complaint inspection that cited failures involving restraints, medications and reporting suspected abuse, according to Nursing Home Inspect/ProPublica. ProPublica’s database also lists multiple complaint reports and abuse- or staffing-related citations stretching back several years.
Turn To Tara’s review and broader complaint history
The News 12 Turn To Tara team found that the state-run home racked up dozens of complaints and citations between 2021 and 2025, raising questions about oversight and whether warning signs slipped by regulators, according to News 12 New York. Family members say they pushed the story into the spotlight after getting few answers from the facility and now want accountability from regulators and prosecutors. Officials currently have the footage and the inspection records as the criminal case moves ahead.
How families can report concerns
Relatives who fear a loved one is being mistreated can file a complaint with the New York State Department of Health’s Nursing Home Complaint program online or by calling the hotline at 1-888-201-4563, according to the New York State Department of Health. The department’s Centralized Complaint Intake Unit reviews reports and can launch on-site or records-based investigations. If a crime is suspected, families are also advised to contact local law enforcement. The VA and state health investigators have separate powers to investigate and enforce, and each can be involved depending on what they find.
What happens next
Prosecutors are reviewing the felony complaint along with the footage, and the criminal case remains active. The VA says the aide identified in the video will stay employed by the federal agency until that case is resolved. For the family, the video has only intensified their fears. Sangro told reporters she cannot sleep and watches the camera feed at night in an effort to keep her husband safe. Regulators say their investigations are ongoing and have not released additional public findings beyond the inspection citations and enforcement actions already on record.
