A former Truman Medical Center-Lakewood medical care technician has been charged with sexually assaulting an elderly patient who had been receiving long-term care at the Kansas City hospital.
Luis Soliz, 49, faces charges of first-degree sodomy and first-degree sexual misconduct following a July 29 incident in which a nurse allegedly walked in on Soliz sodomizing an elderly patient in her hospital room, according to a press release from the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office.
The prosecutor’s office says the alleged victim is non-verbal and has limited use of her arms and legs.
According to court records, when confronted by a second alleged witness about the assault, Soliz replied, “It’s true. I’ve had this problem for a while.”
Soliz was immediately terminated by the hospital, which released a statement on Monday, stating:
Friday evening, a nurse from Truman Medical Center Lakewood’s Long Term Care center walked into a resident’s room and observed a medical care technician having inappropriate contact with the resident. That nurse immediately followed safety protocols, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services hotline and police were called.
The investigation with both agencies is ongoing, and TMC is working closely with the authorities. Truman Medical Centers’ number one priority is patient safety. The organization has zero tolerance for any employee putting those in our care in harm’s way.
We won’t rest until all investigations are complete, and the resident’s family has the answers it deserves about this incident. As this is now in the hands of the KCPD, we would refer any further questions to that organization.
Soliz had been employed by the hospital since 2011.
Bail has been set at $75,000. It is still unclear if Soliz has obtained an attorney.
