Hospital Aide Gets Prison for Saddleback Assaults

A 48-year-old medical assistant at Saddleback Memorial hospital in Laguna Hills pleaded guilty Friday to sexual battery and other charges involving three women patients and was immediately sentenced to four years in prison.

Narcisco Romanes Blando of Orange was also ordered to register as a sex
offender for the rest of his life. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of
sexual battery on an institutionalized person and two misdemeanor counts of
battery.

Blando was a patient care assistant at the hospital, which is near the Laguna Woods senior citizen housing community, when he attacked the women, authorities said.

A 60-year-old patient who was recovering from surgery on Aug. 11, 2011,
told investigators that Blando stroked her hair and kissed her on the lips and
cheek.

Blando touched a 54-year-old woman at the hospital in the groin area
under her hospital gown Feb. 6, under the pretext of rubbing a painkilling
lotion on her for ankle pain, according to the Orange County district
attorney's office.

Blando stopped when the woman cried, and she woke later to discover
Blando stroking her hair. He then kissed her forehead and asked her for a kiss
in return, prosecutors said.

After publicity about those two victims, another woman came forward to
say Blando sexually assaulted her, as well, when she was a patient, according
to prosecutors.

The 65-year-old woman said Blando rubbed her groin area under her
hospital gown Jan. 2 and removed her call button to prevent her from
summoning help. Blando left when the woman yelled at him, prosecutors said.

At the sentencing in Santa Ana, the 54-year-old victim said, "Much trust is necessarily, and usually deservedly placed in the health workers. Mr. Blando had a very caring demeanor, and initially I was grateful and relieved to see he was assigned to help me in the night. Quickly, my trust was breached, and the evening became a long endurance of his advances and hope for the morning to come quickly.''

The 65-year-old victim said, "After teaching special education for 35
years, I had retired and felt good about how many I have helped in that
process. I had self-esteem and knew I was a good person. The creep that took
advantage of me and my condition took all of my dignity and self-assurance and
threw it away. I feel dirty and can't seem to get his rage and the look in his
eyes out of my head.''

--City News Service