A 53-year-old man faces a manslaughter charge after attacking a pregnant nurse at a Longwood hospital on Saturday, causing the death of his unborn baby, according to an arrest affidavit.
Joseph Wuerz, of Casselberry, allegedly pushed the nurse, 32 weeks pregnant, against a wall and tried to kick her repeatedly, according to the report.
The nurse was giving medication to a patient in the behavioral health unit at Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital when Wuerz, also a patient, “walked into the room and attacked her,” Longwood police said .
It took several staff and security guards to get Wuerz out of the room, the nurse told investigators, and he did not speak during the attack.
The nurse then went to Winnie Palmer Hospital, where she was told her baby had no heartbeat, according to the arrest report.
The nurse told police that before being assaulted, she had no medical problems with her pregnancy and she “believes the stress she suffered during the attack may have caused the death of her child. unborn, ”according to the report.
Online records show Wuerz is currently being held without bond at the Seminole County Jail. He also faces charges of aggravated assault and battery of a pregnant woman and aggravated assault and battery of a first responder.
Records show Wuertz was arrested in 2018 and 2019 on domestic battery charges when he assaulted his longtime girlfriend. Both cases were subsequently dropped.
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