A Virginia nurse has been arrested in connection with a series of disturbing incidents at a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, a 26-year-old registered nurse, was taken into custody on charges of malicious wounding and child abuse that resulted in serious injury. The arrest follows an investigation into unexplained fractures suffered by babies at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond.
The hospital became concerned when multiple infants in the NICU were found with similar injuries in late 2023 and early 2024. Three babies sustained unexplained fractures in November and December, leading the hospital to launch an internal inquiry.
This followed a previous set of incidents earlier in 2023 involving four other babies, prompting authorities to reopen the cases and investigate further. Strotman is believed to be responsible for one of these injuries, specifically a case from November 10, 2023. The hospital took immediate action by increasing security measures, implementing new surveillance systems, and introducing protocols for reporting and identifying abuse.
The father of one of the affected babies, Dominique Hackey, expressed mixed emotions after learning about Strotman’s arrest. His twin son suffered a mysterious tibia fracture in September 2023, which initially led to confusion. It wasn’t until a year later that Child Protective Services confirmed the injury was caused by abuse from a hospital worker. Hackey, heartbroken by the revelations, lamented that he wished he had spoken up sooner to prevent further harm to other children.
Authorities have not ruled out additional charges, as they continue to investigate other similar incidents involving Strotman and other hospital staff members. The police, along with Henrico County’s Child Protective Services, continue to review extensive surveillance footage to gather more evidence. Families affected by these cases have been notified, and the investigation remains ongoing.
