It was a rough Easter Sunday at a pair of UCLA regional hospitals in Sylmar and Torrance, as the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept. (LASD) reported two nurses were stabbed in separate incidents Sunday morning.
The first stabbing reportedly occurred just after 2 a.m. on April 20. Lt. Denise Stephenson of the LASD reported a man allegedly entered into the Olive View-UCLA Medical Center in Sylmar and stabbed an on-duty nurse.
Stephenson stated the suspect was identified as Romero Carnalla, 26, of Los Angeles. She added the Carnalla bypassed the weapons screening area before fleeing into the building, eluding security and law enforcement officers.
“As deputies and officers searched the hospital, they heard a woman scream and went to the source of the outcry,” Stephenson stated. “They located the victim, a female adult, and found she was stabbed an unknown number of times in the upper and lower torso.”
The nurse was reportedly in critical condition and received medical treatment. Sheriff deputies were able to capture Carnalla and take him into custody, Stephenson stated.
LASD also reported a knife was recovered from the scene.
More than seven hours later, another nurse was stabbed at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.
According to Lt. Rich Burgoyne of the LASD, a man entered Harbor-UCLA Medical Center at about 9:20 a.m. on April 20 and cleared the weapons screening area before approaching a group of nurses.
Once amongst the nurses, the suspect reportedly grabbed a nurse from behind and stabbed a female victim in the ear with a sharp object. According to Burgoyne, the nurse was able to break free from the suspect and flee toward law enforcement officials. She reportedly received medical treatment for her non-life-threatening injuries.
Burgoyne stated the suspect was identified as Thomas Robert Fredette, 38, of Santee, and was taken into custody. He was booked at the Inmate Reception Center for Assault with a Deadly Weapon and is being held in lieu of $130,000 bail. A court appearance is set for April 22 at the Los Angeles Superior Court in Torrance.
The LASD stated a pencil, which might have been used as the weapon, was recovered and entered into evidence.
LASD officials did not immediately release court appearance and bail information for Carnalla.
Both cases are being investigated. Motives in both cases were not yet determined.
