The Orange County Criminal Lawyer Blog
A man working as a caregiver for a young boy with special needs has been accused of child abuse after his mother viewed disturbing footage on her nanny cam.
The 6-year-old boy reportedly suffers from a genetic disorder called CHARGE syndrome, and while it has a recognizable pattern of symptoms they present differently in each child. Oftentimes babies are born with this affliction which causes problems such as eye and heart defects, ear and hearing obstacles, and emotional as well as developmental setbacks.
Due to his illness the boy’s hearing is highly diminished which causes him the inability to properly speak, and he requires a medical feeding tube in order to eat because he has trouble with breathing and swallowing.
Oscar Felix, a nurse who was employed by Maxim Healthcare Services, was hired by the boy’s mom to provide in-home care to the child 5 days a week. The mother, who has chosen to remain anonymous, viewed footage on her nanny cam which had allegedly captured Felix displaying alarming behavior toward the child.
The footage is said to contain images of Felix dismissing the child’s pleas for attention while paying attention to his cellphone instead. When the child tried to reach something on a counter he knocked down items, and Felix looked as if he kicked the child. In addition, he is believed to be shown slapping and pinching the disabled boy.
The mother contacted the authorities after viewing the footage, and Felix was taken into custody by Santa Ana police. The nurse of 14 years could potentially face charges of felony child abuse. He posted the ordered $100,000 bail and was released on Wednesday.
Felix has been terminated from his position with Maxim Healthcare Services, and they have reported the happenings to the California Board of Nursing. They responded to the occurrence by stating, “The care and safety of our patients is our highest priority. Immediately upon learning of this incident we suspended the employee and initiated an investigation.”
If you or someone you love is suspected of child abuse, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.