Pregnant Mental Health Nurse Loses Baby After Alleged Violent Attack By Hospital Patient

A pregnant mental health nurse has lost her unborn child after a patient allegedly attacked her as she was working at a hospital in Flordia.

Joseph Wuerz, 53, of Casselberry, was charged onTuesday with one count each of aggravated battery against a victim he should have known was pregnant, aggravated battery on a first responder, and manslaughter of an unborn child by hurting their mother, online records from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Department show.

A public information officer for the department referred Oxygen.com to the Longwood Police regarding the incident. They have not immediately returned a request for information.

The victim, whose name has not been released, was treating a patient in a private room of Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital on Saturday when that patient began screaming, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Washington Post. Wuerz allegedly responded to the screaming by running into the same room. There, he allegedly “shoved” the nurse against a wall and tried to kick her repeatedly. Several hospital workers had to drag Wuerz off the nurse, authorities said. He reportedly did not utter a word to the nurse during the alleged attack. He was brought into custody shortly after.

Meanwhile, the nurse went to a nearby hospital for treatment, where she learned that her unborn baby had died. Her due date was just weeks away.

The woman told investigators that she “believes the stress she was under during the attack may have caused her unborn child’s death,” according to the affidavit.

She told investigators that she was '”terrified and shocked.”

Wuerz is being held without bond, according to online jail records. It is not clear if he has an attorney.