Crime & Safety
New Brunswick Male Nurse Sexually Touched 2 Patients, Prosecutor Says
Breaking: This nurse, 29, worked at two of the area's biggest hospitals. He is accused of touching female patients in the ER waiting room.
PERTH AMBOY, NJ — A male nurse at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick was arrested Thursday after prosecutors say he sexually touched two female patients. One of his alleged victims is 74 years old and the other is 49 years old.
Both incidents allegedly occurred while the women were patients in the ER waiting room at Robert Wood Johnson, which is one of the largest and most respected hospitals in Central New Jersey. Wilber Hernandez, 29, worked as a registered nurse there.
Hernandez, who lives in Perth Amboy, was charged with one count of sexual assault in the second degree and one count of criminal sexual assault in the fourth degree. Those charges stem from an incident on June 29 involving the 74-year-old female patient.
Find out what's happening in New Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
He was also charged with one count of criminal sexual contact in the fourth degree and lewdness, a disorderly persons offense, arising from an incident on Oct. 13, 2016, involving the 49-year-old female patient.
He is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick. He has been suspended from his job pending the outcome of the charges.
Find out what's happening in New Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Hernandez has been employed at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital since July 25 of last year. He also works at Saint Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick and Maxim Healthcare Services in North Brunswick, but he has been suspended from both those jobs as well.
Hernandez previously worked as a registered nurse at Jersey City Medical Hospital, Hackensack Regional Medical Center and St. Josephs Regional Medical Center in Paterson, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's office. New Brunswick police, along with the county prosecutor's office, led the investigation.
The investigation is active and is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Oscar Ayala of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 745-3600 or Detective Erika DiMarcello of the New Brunswick Police Department at (732) 745-5200.
Photo of Wilber Hernandez provided by the Middlesex County Prosecutor
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
