RCMP investigating death of casino manager after assault 3 weeks ago
56-year-old Moncton man 'loved by many,' his obituary says
Police are investigating the death of a manager at Casino New Brunswick after he was assaulted on the job last month.
Cpl. Hans Ouellette, a spokesperson for RCMP in New Brunswick, said in a statement that the major crime unit is investigating the death of a 56-year-old Moncton man.
Ouellette said police were called to a location on Casino Drive for a reported assault at 12:50 a.m. on March 4.
The statement says a man was taken to hospital where he died on March 28.
Ouellette said a 50-year-old man from Riverview was arrested at the scene and released pending a future court appearance.
The statement did not name the man who died, and Ouellette did not respond to followup questions.
A member of Rodney Frenette's family confirmed to Radio-Canada that Frenette died after being assaulted while working at the casino on March 4.
Frenette's obituary says he was a food and beverages manager at the Great Canadian Gaming Corp. overseeing two restaurants in Moncton.
The corporation operates the casino. In an emailed statement, Kate Macdonald, general manager, said "Rodney was a dear colleague and friend to many in the Moncton community and we are devastated by his passing. Our focus at this time is to support his family and the Casino New Brunswick team."
"He loved his job and he cherished his wife and daughter and in turn, he was loved by many who will miss him dearly," his obituary says.
Laragh Dooley, a spokesperson for WorkSafeNB, said in an email that the organization carried out an inspection to ensure health and safety compliance but did not issue any orders.
"This is a tragic incident, and our thoughts are with the worker's family, friends and co-workers," Dooley wrote.
Service Wednesday
A service for Frenette is scheduled to take place at the casino Wednesday afternoon.
A notice on the casino's Facebook page says its buffet will be delayed and the Hub City Pub will be closed in the afternoon "to allow our team members to attend the celebration of life for one of our beloved team members."
His obituary says he was born in Point La Nim in northern New Brunswick and was a technology buff who spent countless hours designing computer graphics as a hobby.
It says his love of technology led to a fascination with Disney World, which he recently visited with his wife and daughter.
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With files from Pascal Raiche-Nogue