Dundalk man accused of hospital rape
A Dundalk man was arrested Monday after authorities caught him sexually assaulting a patient at the Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie, according to charging documents.
Damien Taylor, 40, was charged with second-degree rape, third- and fourth-degree sex offenses and second-degree assault in the attack.
Third- and fourth-degree sex offense charges are often determined by a victim’s age or relationship to the accused or when someone does not provide consent to the encounter.
According to charging documents, an ambulance transported a 28-year-old woman to the hospital Monday evening after she had a “negative reaction” to her prescribed medication. Police described her as “very lethargic” and “confused” and medical personnel placed her in a wheelchair in the emergency room lobby to await treatment.
During that time, Taylor approached the woman and began talking with her. Soon, however, he wheeled her to a private vanity and assaulted her, according to charging documents.
In a statement, spokesperson Lisa Broadhead said the Baltimore Washington Medical Center has a “robust security presence,” which includes county police officers, across its campus. She said the hospital “takes the safety and security of our patients, families, and staff extremely seriously, and we are collaborating with AACoPD on this investigation.”
Police did not include in court records why Taylor was at the hospital Monday. Department spokesperson Marc Limansky confirmed the suspect was not an employee at the hospital but was unable to discuss any potential medical status. Broadhead confirmed Taylor was not an employee but did not state his purpose Monday either.
When confronted by police, Taylor claimed to have known the patient. According to body camera footage, however, Taylor said “multiple times” that the woman’s name was Annabelle, which is not her actual name, charging documents show.
The Capital does not identify victims of sexual assault.
The woman told authorities that she had not consented to having sex with Taylor, police said, adding that surveillance footage “corroborated the victim’s telling of events.”
At the time of his arrest, Taylor was serving a six-month unsupervised probation period, according to court records. He had been convicted in October of fourth-degree burglary and was released after Baltimore County District Judge Phillip Tirabassi issued a probation before judgment ruling.
Following a bail review Wednesday, Taylor is being held without bond at the Jennifer Road Detention Center. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at the Annapolis District Court on March 27.