A nurse at a healthcare facility in Arizona was arrested Wednesday for raping an incapacitated patient who gave birth last month, police said.
The New York Post reports:
Nathan Sutherland, 36, a licensed practical nurse at the Hacienda HealthCare facility was arrested for sexual assault and vulnerable adult abuse after providing authorities with a DNA sample Tuesday under court order, said Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams.
The 29-year-old woman has been a patient at the facility since she was a toddler after a near-drowning.
Cops initially said she was in a coma, but a lawyer for her family said last week that she’s not. The lawyer says she has “significant intellectual disabilities” and can’t speak but has some ability to move her limbs, make facial gestures and respond to sounds.
She gave birth to a baby boy Dec. 29.
Sutherland had been one of the staff members responsible for her care at the time of the assault, the police chief said.
Employees at the long-term health facility said they had no clue the victim was pregnant and court records say her last physical was in April.
Sutherland was being booked into Maricopa County Jail Wednesday morning.
H/T nypost.com