*The lawyer of a licensed practical nurse who allegedly raped and impregnated an incapacitated woman at a health care facility says we shouldn’t be too quick to jump to conclusions following the results of a DNA test.
Nathan Sutherland, 36, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly sexually assaulting the unnamed 29 year-old at Hacienda HealthCare in Phoenix, Arizona. He is accused of raping the comatose woman after police matched his DNA to the baby boy the victim gave birth to on December 29. Staff at center were unaware she was pregnant until she went into labor.
The baby is now being cared for by the woman’s family. Sutherland is currently being held in Maricopa County Jail in Arizona. He has been charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of vulnerable adult abuse, according to court records.
CHRIS BROWN IS SELLING ‘THIS B*TCH LYIN’ T-SHIRTS IN RESPONSE TO PARIS MODEL ACCUSING HIM OF RAPE
Here is the mugshot for 36-year-old Nathan Sutherland, the suspect in the Hacienda HealthCare sexual assault: https://t.co/aqMxuIUlim. pic.twitter.com/UVaDFSfsHi
— KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) January 23, 2019
“We owed this arrest to the victim. We owed this arrest to the newest member of our community — that innocent baby,” Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said.
Sutherland submitted his DNA sample under court order Tuesday and the results came back a few hours later, confirming his match to the baby. A $500,000 cash-only bond was set and Sutherland will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device if the post bond.
Defense attorney David Gregan described his client as a family man with young children and argued that “There’s no direct evidence that Mr. Sutherland has committed these acts.”
“I know at this point there’s DNA. But he will have a right to his own DNA expert,” he added.
Investigators believe Sutherland raped the patient sometime between February and April.
Court records indicate his wife filed for divorce seven weeks ago.
Sutherland was fired from Hacienda after his arrest. The company said it was “troubled beyond words,” as he had passed an extensive background check.
“Once again, we offer an apology and send our deepest sympathies to the client and her family, to the community and to our agency partners at every level,” Hacienda said in a statement.
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