A former nurse previously employed at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, is facing serious charges after allegedly harming an infant under her care. Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman of Chesterfield County was formally charged on Friday with malicious wounding and felony child abuse. These charges stem from an incident that reportedly occurred within the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) on November 10, 2024.
Henrico Commonwealth Attorney Shannon Taylor announced the charges, highlighting the severity of the accusations. The felony child neglect charge carries a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, while the malicious wounding charge could result in a maximum penalty of 20 years. Strotman was arraigned on Friday following the charges.
Public defender Scott Cardani, representing Strotman, indicated to ABC News that his client has not yet entered a plea. He declined to provide further comment on the charges at this time. Court records indicate Strotman’s next hearing is scheduled for March 24, 2025. She has been denied bond and is under court order to avoid contact with children under 18, according to Taylor’s office.
While Strotman is currently charged in connection with a single incident, the investigation is still active and expanding. Authorities have identified seven potential victims so far, but this number may increase as the investigation progresses. Taylor stated that four babies from 2023 and three from 2024 have been identified as potential victims. Both the Henrico Police Division and the Commonwealth Attorney’s office have publicly encouraged families who believe their infants may have been affected to come forward.
Officials have been in contact with the families of the identified babies, though the names of the alleged victims have not been released. The Henrico Police Department initiated their investigation after Henrico Doctors’ Hospital launched an internal review into unexplained fractures sustained by infants in the NICU between 2023 and 2024. All previously closed cases related to these incidents have been reopened as part of this broader investigation, as stated by Henrico Police on December 31, 2024. All families involved in this wider investigation, including those from 2023, have been notified.
Dominique Hackey, the father of twins, spoke with WRIC about his son Noah’s case, which is among those reopened. Hackey emphasized, “We want to make it clear that Noah didn’t have a bone disease. It wasn’t accidental. It wasn’t from his birth. Somebody did this to our son and we’re going to find out who did this.”
Amidst growing national attention, the Henrico Police Department addressed misinformation circulating on social media. A statement released on Tuesday refuted claims that the victims were targeted based on their race, stating, “The preliminary investigation indicates this information is not factual.” The department further explained that specific details, such as race, gender, and types of injuries, are being withheld to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation.
Henrico Chief of Police Eric D. English acknowledged the strong emotions surrounding this case and urged the public to “patience as our detectives work to investigate every piece of evidence.” The investigation involves reviewing extensive video footage from inside the Henrico Doctors’ Hospital NICU and is being conducted with the assistance of multiple agencies, including Henrico’s Child Protective Services, the Henrico County Commonwealth Attorneys Office, Virginia State Police, the Virginia Department of Health, and the Office of the Attorney General.
A Henrico Police Department spokesperson confirmed that the investigation remains active. Henrico Doctors’ Hospital has announced on its website that its NICU is currently not admitting new patients. In a statement released on January 3rd, the hospital expressed being “shocked and saddened” by the developments and affirmed their cooperation with law enforcement. They emphasized their focus on continuing patient care and supporting hospital staff affected by the investigation. ABC News has reached out to Henrico Doctors’ Hospital for further comments as this situation continues to unfold.
