Who is Erin Strotman? Everything we know about the Henrico nurse and the seven premature babies who suffered ‘unexplained fractures’
Officials have combed through ‘dozens of videos’ from inside the neonatal ward as they frantically try to figure out what went wrong for at least seven babies
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Neonatal nurse Erin Elizabeth Strotman, 26, of Chesterfield County in Virginia, has been charged and booked with malicious wounding and felony child abuse concerning an incident around November 10 2024 where one infant suffered unexplainable fractures, according to the Henrico County Police.
Strotman stood in court Friday, faced with the families of several other babies who were left with broken bones after being treated inside of the hospital where she was employed.
Officials have refused to say how many babies were abused or specifics on the nature of injuries.
After combing through “dozens of videos from inside the NICU”, investigators are trying to ascertain what caused at least seven babies to suffer from broken bones while in the care of medical professionals, reported The Washington Post.
The hospital announced last week that it would stop admitting babies into the NICU until the suspect was found.
The Independent contacted Henrico County Police, Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor the Virginia Department of Health Professions, ECPI University, and HCA Healthcare for comment.
Strotman is arrested
Strotman was arrested and charged with felony child abuse and malicious wounding Friday “in connection to an ongoing investigation involving a Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)”, stated Henrico Police. She was picked up by detectives Thursday January 2, a Henrico police spokesperson told The Independent.
The nurse was identified as a suspect in the case for an incident on or around November 10 2024 but detectives are re-examining cases that occurred in the summer of 2023 and fall of 2024.
Her employment contract at the hospital was also terminated Thursday, reported 12onyourside.
However, in court on Friday, it was revealed that the nurse was still being paid during Thanksgiving week in 2024 and was unaware that she had been fired, reported ABC8 News.
Strotman has been a registered nurse in Virginia since May 2019
Strotman was reportedly placed on paid administrative leave for a year following the emergence of child abuse reports in the NICU in 2023, and was allowed to return in the fall of 2024, said 12onyourside.
Henrico County’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor confirmed to ABC8 News that she had been employed at the hospital both in 2023 and in 2024 and had since had her employment terminated.
“The maximum statutory penalty for felony child neglect is 10 years of incarceration and the maximum statutory penalty for felony malicious wounding is 20 years of incarceration,” Taylor said.
Strotman became a registered nurse May 30 2019, according to the Virginia Department of Health Professions. She studied to be a nurse at ECPI University in Richmond, Virginia, as shown on a now-deleted Facebook profile.
But it remains unclear when she began working at the Henrico Doctors Hospital NICU.
She is being held at the Henrico County Jail West but has been ordered by the court to be barred from all contact with children under the age of 18, Taylor added.
Taylor has not ruled out further charges, reported 12onyourside.
Who are the victims?
So far, only one family has decided to break anonymity, but at least three of the families were said to be in court Friday.
Dominique Hackey, a father to two prematurely born twin boys spoke with The Washington Post after attending Strotman’s arraignment Friday.
One of his twins, Noah, had been making a strong recovery when a nurse delivered the dreadful news in September 2023 that he had suffered a fractured leg for reasons that remained unclear.
It was Hackey’s mother, a former NICU nurse, who prompted the investigation – which has been on and off for a year – after reporting the incident to Child Protective Services, said The Washington Post.
“It was a very confusing time because you bring one of my babies back to life, then you abuse my other baby. How am I supposed to feel?” Hackey said.
In March 2024, Hackey said CPS informed him that his son was one of four babies to be injured at the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital.
Last month, he discovered that three more babies had reportedly been harmed.
In the courthouse, he learned that a baby had been abused only four days after his son Noah.
One couple also informed him that their child had suffered 12 fractures – news that left him in tears, said The Post.
“Twelve fractures on a baby? I couldn’t even fathom it”, the father told the outlet. The Independent contacted Hackey for comment.
Henrico Doctors’ Hospital and Henrico Police issue statements
On Friday, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital released a statement following Strotman’s charges, stating: “We are both shocked and saddened by this development in the investigation and are focused on continuing to care for our patients and providing support to our colleagues who have been deeply and personally impacted by this investigation.”
Henrico Chief of Police Eric D. said Friday: “We appreciate the families and public’s patience as we work as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible to investigate every piece of evidence in connection to these cases.
“I would also like to acknowledge the unwavering efforts of our detectives who continue to comb through hundreds of hours of footage and extend my sincere gratitude to Henrico’s Child Protective Services (Department of Social Services), the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Office of the Attorney General for their assistance in this matter.”
Henrico Police urged anyone with any further information about the incident to contact Henrico Police Det. M. Lynch at police@henrico.gov or submit tips anonymously via Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.