Monday, January 10, 2005

D.A. BROWN: FORMER REGISTERED NURSE CHARGED WITH ATTACKING TWO ELDERLY FEMALE RESIDENTS OF BAYSIDE NURSING HOME AND ENDANGERING THEIR LIVES BY REMOVING MEDICATION PATCHES; FACES UP TO 15 YEARS IN PRISON

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that a Hicksville, Long Island man has been charged with attacking two elderly female residents of a nursing home in Bayside, Queens and endangering their lives by removing their medication patches.

District Attorney Brown said, “According to the charges, the defendant unlawfully entered the facility where he had previously worked as a registered nurse and removed medication patches from two elderly female residents, endangering their lives. Fortunately, nursing staff members became suspicious and called police who apprehended the defendant inside the facility, averting possible harm to other residents. The victims were promptly treated and have fully recovered. An investigation is ongoing.”

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Joseph Rotolo, 32, of 11 Belmart Court in Hicksville, New York in Nassau County. The defendant has been charged with Burglary in the Second Degree; Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree; Criminal Impersonation in the Second Degree; Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree; Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Seventh Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fifth Degree and Criminal Possession of a Hypodermic Instrument and faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

It is alleged that at about 8:30 p.m. on Friday, January 7, 2005 the defendant unlawfully entered Ozinam Hall, a nursing home operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn at 42-41 201st Street in Bayside, Queens to obtain narcotics for his own personal use.

It is further alleged that the defendant entered the rooms of two elderly female patients and removed medication patches from their upper chest area, endangering their lives, and injected himself with the contents of one of the patches.

It is additionally alleged that the defendant gained entry to the facility by using an identification card that had been issued to him by Vital Care Infusions, Incorporated, an independent contractor, that provides personnel to the nursing home. The defendant had allegedly been employed by Vital Care as a registered nurse and was assigned to the nursing home until his resignation last September. He allegedly failed to surrender his identification.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant was arraigned on Saturday night before Queens Criminal Court Judge Steven W. Paynter who set bail of $250,000 and a return date of January 24, 2005.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Joseph M. Brogan of the District Attorney’s Narcotics Investigations Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Wilbert J. Lemelle, Bureau Chief, Karen J. Friedman, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M.Cantoni.

It should be noted that criminal charges are merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.