HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Erin Strotman, a 25-year-old nurse charged with abusing a baby in the neonatal intensive care unit at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, was granted a $25,000 secured bond on Wednesday in Henrico court.
The judge placed several conditions on Strotman's bond, including that she:
- Must wear a GPS monitor
- Must stay at her parents' house
- May not provide services as a healthcare professional
- May not be in the presence of minors or vulnerable adults
- May not use illegal drugs or drugs for which she doesn't have a prescription
- May not have contact with the individual she's named on social media as her boyfriend
- May not have firearms in her residence
The judge granted Strotman bond after she underwent a mental health evaluation. The results of that evaluation were sealed after they were presented in court.
"The Commonwealth maintained the position that we were objecting to any conditions of release," Henrico Commonwealth's attorney Shannon Taylor said outside of court. "We believed that the actions were so egregious and the strength of the Commonwealth's case is so strong, that we did not believe that there are any conditions to ensure safety to herself or safety to others. The court, of course, is our neutral arbitrator, and has the law, and he was very purposeful in going through the factors. We understand why the court said what he said, we just, of course, we're advocating for our position that we believe that she should be held."
Strotman's attorney said they were pleased with the judge's decision to grant bond, while family members of injured babies told CBS 6 reporter Melissa Hipolit that they were disappointed.
"I think we share the same feeling of anger," Dominique Hackey, whose son was injured in the NICU at Henrico Doctors' Hospital, said. "This is something that we were prepared for but obviously we didn't expect. We definitely don't feel like Richmond is safer with her out on the streets... now she's out on the street celebrating with her family when she's she's done something so despicable. I don't understand it. I don't understand it."
While Strotman is not charged with injuring Hackey's son, he did speak with a family member of the child whose injuries led to Strotman's arrest.
"She wants to share that she's angry," Hackey said. "Ever since this story came out, all that we wanted to do is protect our children. We don't feel safe with her on the street. Nobody should feel safe."
He pointed out that while she was on paid administrative, Strotman reached out to multiple families to ask if she could take care of their children.
"Obviously this woman has a compulsion," Hackey said. "Just because she doesn't have prior convictions, she's allowed to roam the streets or to roam her hallways in her house, but still it's it's a privilege that she doesn't deserve."
Investigation and Arrest
As CBS 6 first reported, Henrico Doctors' Hospital forced Strotman to take paid administrative leave in September 2023 after an internal investigation into fractures suffered by four infants in the NICU.
Child Protective Services and Henrico Police investigated the 2023 cases, and CPS determined the infants had been abused but found there was not sufficient evidence to say Strotman was responsible.
The hospital brought Strotman back to work in September 2024.
Watch: Surveillance video shows nurse abusing baby in Virginia hospital's NICU, police say
Several weeks later, three more babies suffered mysterious broken bones in the NICU.
Investigators said Strotman was caught on camera abusing one of those infants in November 2024.
She was arrested in January 2025 and charged with malicious wounding and child abuse.
She remained in jail following her arrest, where her mental health was evaluated before bond was granted on Feb. 12.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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