A woman who was stabbed by her mentally ill son after he was temporarily released from Hawai'i State Hospital in 2005 filed a lawsuit yesterday against the hospital and the state.

The patient, Rueben Ortiz, is described in the suit as "a chronic schizophrenic with a history of violent behavior with his family members."

He was released from the hospital in April 2005 on the condition "that he not make contact with any family member without the permission of his case manager and/or probation officer," the suit alleged.

Ortiz's mental health case manager was never informed by the Hawai'i State Hospital of that stay-away order or that Ortiz had a history of violent behavior against relatives, according to the suit.

He went to the home of his mother, Minnie S. Torres, and stabbed her three times in the chest, according to the suit and previous news stories.

Family members told The Advertiser in 2005 that Torres was taken to The Queen's Medical Center in critical condition and had to have an artery replaced.

Janice Okubo, spokeswoman for the Department of Health, yesterday said the department had not been served with the suit and would have no comment.

Reach Jim Dooley at jdooley@honoluluadvertiser.com.