Queens Nurse's Aide, Two Nurses Accused Of Abusing Mentally Disabled Patient

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Two nurses and a nurse's aide faced charges Wednesday, they were accused of abusing a mentally disabled patient.

As CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported, prosecutors have released disturbing video of the alleged abuse.

The video from inside Peninsula Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Far Rockaway, Queens is disturbing. A mentally disabled man fell and was allegedly ignored by staff members.

The two nurses and the nurse's aide face charges for allegedly neglecting and abusing the man in the incident back in October.

The 51-year-old patient had fallen in the hallway. Nurses seen standing nearby allegedly did nothing for 12 minutes.

Finally, 36-year-old nurse's aide Emmanuel Ufot walked up to the patient, grabbed his arm and dragged him to his room.

The patient was back in the hallway, 25 minutes later. His backless gown was covered in blood.

Prosecutors said the man was bleeding profusely from wounds on his head and jaw.

For the next 20 minutes, video showed two nurses, 34-year-old Funmilola Taiwo, and 39-year-old Esohe Agbonkpolar standing feet away, doing nothing to help the injured man.

Ufot was then seen again dragging the patient to his room. This time, he allegedly grabbed the hospital gown that was twisted around his neck.

All three defendants dodged CBS2's cameras in Queens Criminal Court after they were charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.

The attorney for Agbonkpolar said the surveillance video didn't tell the whole story.

"That is definitely not accurate. My client did assist in treating this particular person and in fact did call 911. So, there's a lot of investigation that we still have to do," defense attorney Victor Knapp said.

The defendants were arrested Wednesday by the Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.

They were charged and released on their own recognizance. All three have been fired or resigned from Peninsula.