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October 17, 2024
Assault on Patient at Nursing Home Leads to Two Arrests in Ocean County
Two staff members at a nursing and rehabilitation center in Bayville were arrested Thursday and taken to the Ocean County Jail on suspicion of assaulting a patient who was critically injured.
Jovi Esperanza, 31, of Beachwood, and
Dhenmark Francisco, 28, of Toms River, were both charged with aggravated assault in relation to an incident that happened on October 14, 2024, at the
Crystal Lake Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. At the facility, both males worked as certified nursing assistants, or CNAs.
On October 15, 2024, the Berkeley Township Police Department was contacted by authorities at the Crystal Lake Rehabilitation Facility regarding a patient that had been assaulted.
An investigation by the Berkeley Township Police Department Detective Bureau determined that on October 14, 2024, at approximately 11:45 a.m., a 52 year-old male patient was assaulted by two Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who were employed by the facility.
The patient was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, and then transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Center in New Brunswick for treatment of his injuries. He is listed in critical but stable condition.
According to investigators, Francisco and Esperanza were the CNAs who attacked the victim after an inquiry. Francisco, who is currently being held for a detention hearing, was taken into custody at the institution without incident on October 15, 2024, and sent to the Ocean County Jail.
Esperanza turned himself in at Berkeley Township Police headquarters later that day. He was also taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he is currently being held pending a detention hearing.
