Nursing Home Employee Arrested After Woman Gives Birth While in Vegetative State

On December 29, 2018, an Arizona woman who had been in a vegetative state for ten years unexpectedly gave birth to a baby boy. The woman was a patient at Hacienda Healthcare, a facility for people in need of long-term medical care, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Caregivers of the facility had no idea the patient was pregnant until she went into labor. Phoenix police immediately began a sexual assault investigation.

The suspect, Nathan Sutherland, was a licensed practical nurse at the facility since 2011. Sutherland was arrested after police determined that his DNA matched the baby’s DNA. Sutherland was identified as a person who had access to the victim in the case and investigators obtained his DNA sample using a court order. Sutherland was charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of vulnerable adult abuse, both felonies. He pled “not guilty” on February 4, 2019 in Maricopa County court.

After the incident, the facility was mandated to increase security and staff presence during interaction with patients and another person is required to be in the room when a male health-care aid provides treatment to female patients. While the family and the attorney who represents them has not filed a lawsuit at this time, nursing homes such as Hacienda remain potentially liable for atrocities and harm committed by their staff against patients.

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual harassment or abuse, it is important to find a skilled law firm with experience handling these cases to ensure that predators and organizations harboring predators are held accountable. The law firm of Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner is the oldest personal injury firm in Texas, and our attorneys are standing by to assist with your claim. Call us today at (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211 for your free consultation.