A nurse at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, has been arrested following a series of mysterious injuries to newborns, including a fractured leg suffered by one infant. Dominique Hackey was anxiously waiting to hold his premature son, Noah, for the first time when he was told that Noah had suffered a fracture to his left leg. The news was devastating for Hackey and his wife, Tori Hackey, whose twin sons, Micah and Noah, had been born prematurely in September 2023.
Born at 28 weeks and weighing just around two pounds, the twins had spent their early days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Micah, the more fragile of the two, was struggling to survive, Hackey said. But now, just a week after their birth, Noah, the healthier twin, was found to have a broken leg.
“I was confused and heartbroken,” Hackey explained. “I don’t have a medical background. You’re telling me my baby has a fracture? How did this happen?”
Initially, Hackey declined the chance to hold his son, fearing he might be blamed for the injury. Now, over a year later, the Hackeys and other parents are learning more about the situation at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, which has seen a number of mysterious injuries to newborns in recent years.
Former Nurse Charged in Connection with Abuse
On Friday, Henrico County police arrested 26-year-old Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, a former NICU nurse, and charged her with malicious wounding and felony child abuse. The charges stem from a November 2024 incident involving another newborn. Police are now investigating seven possible cases of abuse at the hospital, including Noah’s injury, according to Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor.
Henrico Doctors’ Hospital expressed shock and sadness over Strotman’s arrest, stating that it was cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation. In the wake of the arrest, the hospital temporarily halted admissions to its NICU, redirecting new patients to other facilities as necessary.
“We are assisting the Henrico Police Department with their investigation and remain committed to ensuring the continued care of our patients,” the hospital said in a statement.
Tears and Regret
At Strotman’s arraignment, Hackey could not contain his emotions. “I could not stop the tears from flowing. I have a lot of guilt. A lot of regret. And a lot of anger that the hospital let it get this far,” he told CNN. “My son was one of her first victims. My son’s first emotion was pain. And as a father, that breaks me.”
Strotman has not yet entered a plea, and her attorney declined to comment on the charges.
Surveillance Footage Under Review
Police are now reviewing hundreds of hours of hospital surveillance footage to uncover what happened to the seven injured newborns. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out the possibility that more babies were affected.
The Hackeys had chosen Henrico Doctors’ Hospital for the birth of their twins because they believed it had the resources to care for premature babies. Hackey recalled that at one point, they weren’t sure if Micah would survive due to his health complications. However, Noah appeared to be thriving—until his leg was fractured under suspicious circumstances.
After receiving the troubling news, Hackey turned to his mother, a director of nursing at another hospital, who found it highly unlikely that the fracture was the result of a routine injection. Concerned, she contacted Child Protective Services (CPS) to report the injury, and an investigation was launched. The hospital later closed the case, concluding that the fracture was likely caused by the injection.
However, in January 2024, Hackey was contacted by Henrico County police, who informed him that the case had been reopened.
CPS Finds Evidence of Abuse
Months later, in September 2024, Hackey received a letter from CPS confirming that Noah’s injury was indeed the result of abuse at the hospital. The letter stated that the investigation had found a “preponderance of the evidence” that child abuse had occurred.
The revelation led Hackey to discover that several other babies had suffered similar injuries at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital. Police are now investigating four cases from 2023, including Noah’s, and three more from 2024.
The injured infants were all boys, Hackey noted. “There was no real pattern we could find,” he said. “The only thing they have in common is that they are all boys.”
The Arrested Nurse Was Unmemorable to Families
Hackey, who now knows that his son was one of the first victims of the abuse, recalled Strotman as a nurse with bangs, but little else stood out about her at the time. He and other parents who have spoken to CNN said they didn’t notice anything unusual about her behavior, leaving them shocked when they learned she had been arrested.
“When I saw her face, I was completely shocked because I don’t really remember having any conversations with her,” Hackey said.
Families Connect and Heal
On the day of Strotman’s arraignment, several families whose children were allegedly abused met at the courthouse. They shared their grief and began connecting the pieces of their experience. Hackey emphasized that healing was easier when they came together to support each other.
“We’ve found that it’s easier to heal together than to go through this individually,” he said.
Strotman, if convicted, could face up to 10 years in prison for felony child abuse and up to 20 years for malicious wounding. As investigations continue, Strotman has been held without bail, and her next court appearance is scheduled for March 24.
Hackey said he hoped Strotman would be sentenced to life in prison if found guilty. “That’s the least she deserves,” he added.
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