A former UTMB Health cafeteria worker has been sentenced to ten years in prison by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice after admitting to sexually assaulting a hospitalized cancer patient in her bed at the Clear Lake Campus in Webster. According to court records, the attack occurred in late October 2023, and the prison sentence was imposed in Harris County on Tuesday after an investigation that resulted in charges in November 2023.
Court records and sentencing
According to Harris County court documents, 30-year-old Cristian Daniel Cruz Herrera pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault on Jan. 20 and received a 10-year state prison sentence to be spent in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, as reported by Click2 Houston. The station studied court papers, which listed a single sexual assault charge and documented the plea and disposal. Herrera was originally charged in November 2023, after the patient reported the incident.
What happened in the hospital
According to court documents and previous reports, the woman, a cancer patient being treated for low potassium, told detectives that Herrera served her lunch at noon on Oct. 26, 2023, and assaulted her after she requested assistance getting to the restroom. She stated she asked for a nurse after he left and then dialed 911. According to Click2Houston, Herrera admitted to investigators about his actions before being prosecuted in court. “My pleas for help were ignored, and I was treated like a criminal myself,” the survivor told the station.
Employer and hospital response
According to hospital horror coverage, UTMB acknowledged the assault and stated the contract worker was quickly removed when his admission was made public, and Sodexo, which controls food service on campus, said it dismissed him. UTMB told reporters that following the event, school would evaluate its sexual assault reporting protocols and refresh staff training as appropriate. According to available reports, neither UTMB nor Sodexo have issued any additional statements regarding the judgment.
Legal context
Sexual assault is specified in Texas Penal Code Section 22.011 and is a felony offense. According to the state Legislature’s statutes, a conviction is a reportable offense that may result in registration responsibilities under Chapter 62 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. See Penal Code §22.011 and Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 62 for registration rules and legislation text.
Aftermath
The survivor has said the assault will permanently change how she seeks medical care, and earlier reporting detailed her belief that hospital staff brushed her off when she tried to report what happened, according to earlier hospital horror coverage. Advocates and patient safety experts have cited the instance as a prime illustration of why hospitals want clearer vendor policies and more rigorous training to protect vulnerable inpatients. With the punishment completed, authorities and hospital officials say they are still investigating how the incident was handled and whether policy or practice changes are required.
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