Police have arrested Nathan Sutherland, a 36-year-old nurse who allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in a vegetative state at Hacienda Healthcare in Phoenix, Arizona.
What Happened?
According to police, the victim gave birth to a boy — later determined to be Sutherland’s — at the Hacienda Healthcare facility on Saturday, December 29. Sutherland was a licensed practical nurse who was responsible for providing care to the victim, who has been in a vegetative state since they were 3-years-old. Sutherland worked at the Hacienda Healthcare facility since 2011.
The baby boy, who is reportedly “doing quite well”, will be taken care of by the victim’s family.
Sutherland was arrested and charged with sexual assault and vulnerable adult abuse. Police said that Sutherland invoked his Fifth Amendment rights following his arrest and did not give an interview to authorities.
The identity of the victim has not been disclosed.
Hacienda Healthcare released the following statement after Sutherland’s arrest:
“Every member of the Hacienda organization is troubled beyond words to think that a licensed practical nurse could be capable of seriously harming a patient. Once again, we offer an apology and send our deepest sympathies to the client and her family, to the community and to our agency partners at every level.
Nathan Sutherland, who held a current state of Arizona practical nurse’s license and who had undergone an extensive background check upon hiring – was terminated from Hacienda the moment our leadership team learned of his arrest. As we have since the first minutes of this police investigation, the Hacienda team will continue to cooperate with investigators from multiple agencies in every way possible.
We will do everything in our power to ensure justice in this case.
In the past two weeks, the Hacienda team has increased security measures to ensure the safety of all our patients. We will continue to do so. We also will continue to review and improve what is already an in-depth vetting process for caregivers at Hacienda. We will not tolerate any mistreatment of a Hacienda patient, nor will we stop until every Hacienda patient is as safe as we can make them. “
Prior to this incident, the Hacienda Healthcare was not considered to be high-end, as Medicare shows that the facility received a “below average” health-inspection rating in 2017.
As a result, Bill Timmons, the CEO of Hacienda HealthCare, announced his resignation from the company.
Who Is Nathan Sutherland?
Nathan Sutherland, 36, was a licensed practical nurse at the Hacienda Healthcare in Phoenix, Arizona, that allegedly raped a patient in a vegetative state. Sutherland was charged with sexual assault and vulnerable adult abuse.