NICU nurse faces more charges amid investigation into babies found with fractures
A former Virginia nurse is now being charged with eight counts of abuse and malicious wounding after seven babies were found with unexplained fractures in a neonatal intensive care unit.
Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, 26, was arrested earlier this year and charged with two counts of malicious wounding and felony child abuse in connection with the investigation at the hospital where she worked, the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, the Henrico County Police Division confirmed in January.
At a hearing on Monday, Strotman was charged with six new counts, including four of child abuse and two of malicious wounding.
Officials are investigating the injuries of seven infants, three in 2024 and four in 2023. The charges added Monday are in connection to three babies harmed last year. Strotman has not been charged in connection to the 2023 injuries, according to Virginia news station WRIC-TV.
"While there has been an arrest for one person for allegedly inflicting injury on a single victim, I would emphasize this is an ongoing investigation spanning potential offenses committed in both 2023 and 2024," Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor told Paste BN.
Paste BN has reached out to Strotman's court-appointed attorney, Scott Cardani, who previously declined to Jan. 7 request for comment.
Fractures found in late 2024 are similar to injuries found in 2023
Staff at the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital found three babies with unexplained fractures at its NICU unit between late November and December, the hospital said.
The hospital said the injuries resembled injuries in four babies discovered during the summer of 2023 and therefore opened an internal investigation.
The hospital notified the families of the infant victims and police. On Dec. 26, law enforcement launched their own investigation and by Dec. 31, police announced it reopened cases relating to the 2023 injuries.
"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 hospital wrote on Jan. 3.
On Jan. 7, Henrico police Chief Eric D. English said detectives combed through "hundreds of hours of footage" before arresting Strotman, adding that "we kindly request patience as our detectives work to investigate every piece of evidence in connection to these cases."
Who is Erin Strotman?
Erin Strotman is 26-year-old woman from Chesterfield County, just south of Richmond, according to police.
The Henrico Doctors’ Hospital described Strotman as a former employee in a statement posted on its website, but did not say how long she worked there.
Strotman received her nursing license in May 2019, and her certification remained active online as of Tuesday, according to the Virginia Department of Health Professions.