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Police in Virginia have arrested a registered nurse in connection with a botched attack that left a vulnerable newborn in a hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit with an “unexplained fracture” in November — and more charges may be filed as detectives continue to investigate a half-dozen similar incidents.
The suspect, Erin Elizabeth Ann Strootman, 26, was booked into the Henrico County Jail on charges of malicious wounding and child abuse resulting in serious injury around 1:15 a.m. Friday.
A baffling series of infant injuries in the intensive care unit at Henrico Hospital in Richmond in November and December prompted officials to launch an internal investigation and close the unit to new patients before Christmas.
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Erin Strootman in a photo taken on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. A Virginia registered nurse faces charges of child abuse and malicious wounding in connection with an incident involving a newborn in a Richmond intensive care unit. (Henrico County Sheriff’s Office)
Public records show Strootman’s registered nurse license was first issued in 2019 and is valid until May 2026.
“In late November/December, we discovered that three infants in the intensive care unit at our Henrico hospital had unexplained fractures similar to an incident involving four infants in the summer of 2023,” the hospital said in a statement.
Concerned parents reported the injuries to child protective services last year.
“Finally we can get some answers about who abused our son. I would like to say that it was a happy moment when I learned of her arrest, but when I learned about the details of the other children, the only thing I feel is sadness and regret,” Dominic Haki, the father of one of the victims, told Fox News Digital Friday. “I am heartbroken to learn that this man was allowed to get away with it and I regret that I should have spoken up sooner in the hope of preventing other children from being harmed.”
One of Hackey’s twin sons is pictured with a supportive ankle brace after he suffered the bizarre injury, which investigators later determined was caused by hospital staff in a chilling child abuse case. (Courtesy of Dominic Haki)
Haki first came forward with his story on a local news station WTVR-TV last month, revealing confusion surrounding an injury to one of his twin sons. In September 2023, he suffered a mysterious broken tibia. His mother, a former intensive care nurse herself, reported the injury to social services.
It wasn’t until a year later that Henrico CPS informed them that it had concluded that their son had been the victim of physical abuse by an unnamed hospital employee. Then in October, county police notified them of other similar incidents.
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The hospital announced the closure of the intensive care unit on Dec. 24 after the three most recent incidents, but even then the alleged assailant remained unknown until police announced Strootman’s arrest on Friday.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are not admitting any additional children to our intensive care unit at this time,” the hospital said on Christmas Eve. “While fractures sometimes occur in premature babies because they do not have fully developed fetal bones, we are actively working to determine how these fractures occurred.”
Now 16 months old, Noah Haki has recovered from injury. (Courtesy of Dominic Haki)
While hospital officials have previously said that fractures can happen to premature babies, they have nevertheless beefed up security, installed new surveillance systems and notified police after the second spate of attacks.
The new safety measures included training on general safety and how to spot and report signs of abuse, head-to-toe patient examinations by doctors, and an observation system where each health worker is accompanied by another clinician each time they enter a children’s room. , informed the hospital.
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They also turned over several hours of surveillance video to police, who were still reviewing the footage after Strootman’s arrest in connection with the Nov. 10 incident.
“We appreciate the families’ and the public’s patience as we work as thoroughly and expeditiously as possible to investigate all evidence in these cases,” Henrico Police Chief Eric English said in a statement. “I would also like to acknowledge the continued efforts of our detectives who continue to comb through hundreds of hours of video footage and express my sincere gratitude to Henrico Child Protective Services (Department of Human Services), the Henrico County Prosecutor’s Office, the Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Public Health and the Attorney General’s Office for their assistance in this matter.”
No charges have been filed in the Haki case, but police said they are actively gathering evidence in all other incidents.
We can finally get answers about who abused our son. I wish I could say it was a happy moment to learn of her arrest, however after learning the details surrounding the other babies, all I feel is sadness and regret.
Strootman is a resident of Midlothian, a suburb of Richmond, and authorities are looking into her in connection with a series of similar cases between 2023 and 2024, Henrico police said Friday – including inactive cases.
“All previously closed cases related to these incidents have been reopened,” the police said in a statement. “All families involved in this wider investigation have been notified.”
Because of health privacy laws, authorities said they could not release many additional details.
A Google Maps image shows a hospital emergency room. Authorities have stepped up security as police say a registered nurse is responsible for at least one attack on a newborn in the neonatal intensive care unit. (Google Maps)
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“We are both shocked and saddened by these developments in the investigation and are focused on continuing to care for our patients and support our colleagues who have been deeply and personally affected by this investigation,” said HCA Healthcare, which owns the hospital. in the statement.
If additional charges are possible, police are asking anyone with information contact detectives at [email protected], visit P3tips.com or call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
Court records show Strootman’s previous run-ins with the law involved only minor traffic violations.
She was arraigned Friday morning in Henrico County Juvenile and Family Court.
As for the Khaki family, their son has recovered from his fracture and is doing well.
“He’s a very adventurous little boy,” his father said.
