Young patient faces charges in brutal assault at Bedford hospital
A 15-year-old Watauga boy is accused of severely beating a nursing assistant last month at Springwood Hospital, leaving her with facial fractures and chest injuries, police said Monday.
A nurse also suffered facial bruises and knee and wrist injuries in the attack, which occurred Aug. 19 at the hospital, 2717 Tibbets Drive. The hospital is a psychiatric facility and treatment center.
The nurse managed to alert officials, who subdued the teen.
The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, was taken to the John Peter Smith psychiatric ward in Fort Worth for treatment, police said. After he was released from JPS Aug. 25, the teen was taken to the Tarrant County Juvenile Detection Center in Fort Worth.
He faces delinquent conduct charges of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury and assault with bodily injury, police Lt. David Smith said in a Monday email.
“We have filed charges against the accused, and are continuing to investigate the case,’ said Sam Jordan, a spokeswoman with the Tarrant County district attorney’s office. “The accused is currently in custody at the juvenile detention center.”
Hospital officials could not be reached Monday for comment.
The attack occurred about 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 19 in the hospital, according to police reports.
The boy is accused of attacking a 49-year-old female nurse while she was at a nursing station. The female nursing assistant, also 49, rushed to help the nurse, police said.
The Watauga teen is accused of repeatedly punching the nursing assistant and then possibly using a chair to beat her.
The nurse ran for help, returned with other people and found the nursing assistant on the floor, severely injured, police said.
The nursing assistant was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital. The nurse was treated at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hurst-Euless-Bedford, which is adjacent to Springwood.
Domingo Ramirez Jr.: 817-390-7763, @mingoramirezjr
This story was originally published September 26, 2016 at 3:29 PM with the headline "Young patient faces charges in brutal assault at Bedford hospital."