HENRICO CO.,Va. – UPDATE
A former Henrico County NICU nurse accused of intentionally hurting and abusing premature babies has been denied bond, NBC 12 reports.
Erin Strotman, 26, of Chesterfield, Virginia, is facing charges of malicious wounding, child abuse, neglect and serious injury. These charges are in connection with a late 2024 incident, where three babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Virginia’s Henrico Doctors’ Hospital were found with “unexplainable fractures,” according to officials.
A criminal complaint alleges that a 5-month-old boy was found with multiple leg and rib fractures in November 2024 and references video evidence of Strotman allegedly taking both of the baby’s legs and pushing them back until his feet were at his head. The complaint states that the baby could be seen crying and in distress as Strotman continued to put her weight and extreme pressure on both of his legs.
Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor stated: “And we believe that the representations we made regarding the video that is evidence to show some of the intentional conduct that the Commonwealth believes is part of the probable cause for the charges that we have filed.”
This comes after Strotman was placed on leave in 2023 after an internal investigation found four babies were abused. She remained on leave through Sept. 2024, and just a few weeks after she was back, there were three more reported cases.
“I don’t want to comment specifically on the findings of 2023 or how it came to be that agencies came to certain findings in 2023. What is important for the public to know is that everything that happened in 2023 is, in fact, part of an ongoing investigation,” said Taylor.
The judge said her concern for both Strotman’s safety and the community’s is what led her to deny her bond. She stated she wants her to undergo a psychological evaluation to ensure she’s stable enough to be released.
Strotman’s attorney, Jeffery Everhart, argued in favor of the bond and said a social media video that has been shared by jail staff could put her in harm’s way. He also noted that she isn’t at flight risk.
“I’m just told that people have been watching videos in plain sight, and other people have seen them, and that’s one of the reasons she is where she is,” Everhart said.
He also stated, “Law enforcement has indicated that they would help provide some security and provide for her safety, I mean her family they are not security people they are just regular folks. But I have been in touch with law enforcement and if we’re fortunate enough to get her a bond then law enforcement assures me that they would help assist her in being safe.”
Strotman is currently being held at Henrico Jail West and is set to return to court in May.
Henrico Doctors’ Hospital says they have implemented more safety measures, including more cameras and daily examinations of each NICU baby.
ORIGINAL STORY
A Chesterfield County woman was arrested and charged Friday, in connection with an ongoing investigation into the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), according to Henrico Police.
On Dec. 26 Henrico Police were made aware of an internal investigation involving Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
According to a news release, Henrico Police’s Special Victim Unit was assigned to follow up and investigate to determine if any criminal violations had occurred.
On Dec. 31, Henrico Police announced that any previously closed cases related to incidents that they were investigating had been reopened as part of a broader investigation, including incidents from 2023.
During the course of the investigation, detectives identified 26-year-old Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman as a suspect in the case, 10 News has learned.
Strotman is facing charges of malicious wounding and felony child abuse in connection to an incident that occurred in November of 2024.
According to the news release, the Henrico County Police Division is utilizing all available resources to ensure a thorough investigation into the matter.
“This involves reviewing dozens of videos from inside the NICU. As previously mentioned, detectives are re-examining the 2023 and 2024 cases as part of this broader investigation,” The County said in its release.
“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,” said Henrico Chief of Police Eric D. English. “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.”
The Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit issued a statement Friday.
There has been an ongoing investigation into fractures sustained by patients in our NICU, and this morning, the Henrico County Police Department arrested a former employee of the hospital in connection with that investigation. We have been assisting law enforcement in their ongoing investigation and will continue to do so. Any media questions or inquiries about that investigation should be directed to law enforcement.
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. We are grateful to those colleagues, who have dedicated their professional lives to the care and safety of our patients, as well as to law enforcement and the other agencies who have worked aggressively and tirelessly with us on this investigation.
For more than 30 years, the NICU at Henrico Doctors' Hospital has provided necessary and life-saving care to babies in central Virginia and we remain focused on ensuring the availability of that care in our community.
The Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
The Hospital also announced in a statement that they would no longer be admitting new patients into the NICU as the investigation continues.
