A former employee at a Fort Lauderdale assisted living facility is facing charges after authorities say he fatally choked Jason Similien, a 26-year-old patient with autism, during an incident that occurred roughly three years ago. Jimmy Alexis, 43, was taken into custody and has since made bond, according to arrest documents outlining a disturbing account of that night.
According to NBC 6 South Florida, Alexis admitted in arrest documents that he restrained Similien. Another employee told investigators that Alexis choked Similien until he became unconscious multiple times that night, and that same employee reportedly handed over audio recordings capturing the sounds of Similien choking and moaning. Fort Lauderdale police arrived at the facility in June 2023 after Similien was reported dead, according to authorities.
Family Attorney Describes What Allegedly Triggered the Fatal Encounter
Adam Finkle, the attorney representing Similien and his family, said the fatal encounter allegedly began over something painfully ordinary: Jason asking for cookies. Finkle also said the facility was well aware of Similien's struggles, noting that facility owners had told investigators Similien suffered from psychosis and anxiety, according to the same report.
Finkle claimed employees had lodged internal complaints about Alexis before Similien's death, and that Alexis was not fired despite those complaints, the station's report states. Similien's family has since filed a civil case against the group home and its property owners, seeking accountability beyond the criminal case. NBC 6 said it had not received a response from the facility's owners or their attorneys.
Defense Pushes Back on Timing of the Arrest
Alexis's attorney said Alexis denies the allegations and questioned why the case was brought forward three years after the incident, telling the outlet the arrest came unexpectedly after so much time had passed. Alexis has been charged with manslaughter, also described as aggravated manslaughter of a disabled adult.
Under Florida law, causing the death of a disabled adult through culpable negligence is classified as aggravated manslaughter of an elderly person or disabled adult, a first-degree felony, according to Florida Statutes §782.07(2). That statute carries some of the most severe penalties available for crimes against vulnerable adults in the state.
Part of a Broader Pattern of Scrutiny on Florida Care Homes
Similien's case lands amid wider concerns about oversight of Florida's assisted living industry. A Miami Herald investigation reported that the state's adult protection program has operated without adequate oversight, raising questions about how facilities are monitored statewide. Years earlier, an NPR report on a Miami Herald and WLRN investigation found at least 70 questionable deaths in Florida assisted living facilities over the preceding decade.
Similar allegations have surfaced elsewhere in the country. In New York, three nursing home employees were charged after a 34-year-old resident died following an alleged choking incident, according to lohud. For now, the specifics of Similien's civil case, the facility's name and licensing status, and the full details of the criminal charges against Alexis remain unavailable in public reporting.
