Henrico nurse Erin Strotman charged after premature babies suffer broken bones in NICU
A year-long investigation into the alleged child abuse suspects that at least seven babies have been harmed at the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Virginia between 2023 and 2024
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A nurse at a hospital in Virginia has been charged in connection with an incident that left a premature baby suffering from mysterious fractures – though investigators suspect multiple babies have experienced similar abuse.
Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, 26, of Chesterfield County, Virginia, a former nurse at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse Friday, according to a Henrico County police press release and booking records.
The shocking arrest came on the back of a wider year-long investigation that discovered multiple infants who suffered similar “fractures”, the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital said Friday.
Henrico County Police said they were “re-examining multiple cases from 2023 and 2024” suggesting that several babies suffered unexplained fractures, as per the press release.
At least seven babies are believed to have been harmed, reported The Washington Post.
Strotman became a registered nurse in May 2019, according to the Virginia Department of Health Professions – but it is unclear when she began working at the Henrico hospital.
Henrico Police Division refused to confirm how many babies had suffered the ambiguous fractures to The Independent.
Families of at least three of the babies were reported to have attended Strotman’s arraignment Friday – one of them was father to two twin boys, Dominique Hackey. His sons were born at 28 weeks and endured nearly three months inside the NICU in 2023, reports The Washington Post.
Speaking with the newspaper, Hackey said that in the past he and his wife went through two miscarriages and were later faced with watching their child, Noah, in a NICU. 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 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.
Investigators revealed they had scoured hours of video footage from inside the NICU after it was provided to them by the hospital, stated the release.
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.
Then Friday, 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.
Strotman is currently being held without bond in Henrico County Regional Jail West, according to booking records. Her next court appearance is scheduled for March 24.
As of Monday, police said the investigation is ongoing.
“At this time, detectives continue to re-examine all evidence in the case to determine and further criminal violations”, said an email statement from Henrico County Police Division.
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.
On Friday, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital spoke on 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.”
The Independent contacted Henrico Doctors’ Hospital for further comment.