12 more victims accuse former Jenkintown urgent care employee of assaulting women while posing as nurse
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A former Jenkintown urgent care medical assistant has been charged with 24 felony and misdemeanor criminal charges for assaulting and harassing women while posing as a nurse, according to the Montgomery County District Attorney.
Ramon Garcia, 33, was arrested at the beginning of March after two women reported separate yet similar assaults perpetrated by the former medical assistant at the Carbon Health Urgent Care in Jenkintown.
District Attorney Kevin Steele said 12 more victims have come forward since the initial arrest leading to the 24 additional charges against Garcia including aggravated indecent assault, invasion of privacy, indecent assault without consent, harassment-lewd/lascivious acts, impersonating a license holder, wiretap violations for illegal use and possessing an instrument of crime.
Victims allege that Garcia performed physical body examinations and watched them change into medical gowns. Some of the victims allege that the 33-year-old took pictures of them, made them put their hands on his groin area while he took their blood sample and secretly took photos or videotaped them in the office's exam rooms or bathrooms.
New allegations also indicate Garcia gave the victims his phone number and made inappropriate comments about them.
Following the two initial reports in early March, Abington Township detectives and officials from the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office arrested Garcia while he was at work.
When Garcia was arrested, investigators said he originally identified himself to them as a nurse. Detectives then found out he was a medical assistant and his job responsibilities included signing in patients, taking vitals and, if instructed by a medical professional, taking blood samples.
Carbon Health provided the following statement to CBS News Philadelphia regarding the additional charges filed against Garcia.
We are aware of the shocking charges of sexual misconduct by Ramon Garcia who is no longer employed at Carbon Health. We have conducted a thorough internal investigation and are consulting with an external investigator on this matter. Carbon Health is dedicated to maintaining a safe environment at all of our facilities and we are continuing to fully cooperate with law enforcement and other relevant authorities in their investigation.
Police said Garcia is not trained, instructed, or permitted to conduct either of the kinds of examinations or tests that he did with the victims.
Garcia was arraigned on Thursday and remains at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 3.
Anyone with any information regarding the investigation into Garcia is asked to contact Abington Township police at 267-536-1102.
