Phoenix PD Give Details On Sex Assault Investigation At Hacienda

PHOENIX, AZ — Police have provided more details on the sexual assault investigation prompted by the birth of a baby to a woman in a vegetative state at a Phoenix long-term care facility.

Sergeant Tommy Thompson, a Phoenix PD spokesperson, said at a press conference on Wednesday that officers responded to the facility run by Hacienda HealthCare around 3:45 p.m. local time on Dec. 29. Police were called to the report of an infant who was in distress.

Police said an incapacitated woman in her 20s had given birth and both the baby and mother were taken to the hospital. Thompson said that both the baby and mother are recovering.

Thompson said detectives started a sexual assault investigation on Dec. 29 itself. He added that police expect the case to be a long-term investigation.

Detectives have not yet identified a suspect but Thompson said police have served search warrants and obtained buckle swabs, which are used to collect DNA. He also said authorities were asking were now asking the community for help in the investigation if they had any information to provide.

Anyone with information can contact the violent crimes unit at 602-262-6141 or the family investigations bureau at 602-534-2121. Information can also be provided by calling Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO for Spanish.

In a statement on Tuesday, Hacienda said it welcomed the development in the ongoing police investigation. The company said that they themselves had consulted attorneys to determine whether it would be legal for them to compel employees to undergo DNA testing or whether they could conduct voluntary DNA testing of their employees.

"We were told it would be a violation of federal law in either instance," the company said in a statement.

The search warrant was executed on Tuesday, a day after the company's CEO, Bill Timmons, resigned.

The case came to light in a news report from AZ Family. According to the report, the female patient who has been in a vegetative state for at least a decade gave birth on Dec. 29. Citing sources, the publication reported that the staff was not aware the woman was pregnant until she was giving birth.

The Arizona Department of Health Services said it was aware of the situation and is working with local law enforcement in their criminal investigation.

The woman is a 29-year-old member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, according to a statement obtained by 12 News.

"On behalf of the Tribe, I am deeply shocked and horrified at the treatment of one of our members," Tribe Chairman Terry Rambler said.

An attorney for the family said in a statement obtained by The New York Times that the baby has been born into a loving family and will be well cared for.

“The family obviously is outraged, traumatized and in shock by the abuse and neglect of their daughter at Hacienda Healthcare,” the attorney, John A. Micheaels, said in the statement.

Photo: This Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, photo shows Hacienda HealthCare in Phoenix. The revelation that a Phoenix woman in a vegetative state recently gave birth has prompted Hacienda HealthCare CEO Bill Timmons to resign, putting a spotlight on the safety of long-term care settings for patients who are severely disabled or incapacitated. Photo by Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press