‘She felt violated’: Johnson County nursing home worker accused of raping 85-year-old
An Overland Park nursing home employee is accused of raping an 85-year-old resident with dementia after one of his co-workers allegedly walked in her room last month and found them both partially undressed.
Samuel Wambugu, 63, is charged in Johnson County District Court with a single count of felony rape. He was first arrested late last month following an investigation led by Overland Park police.
According to an affidavit released Wednesday, the sexual assault was first reported on Jan. 21 at The Heritage of Overland Park, a senior living facility that specializes in treating patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Overland Park police officers were sent to The Heritage after being contacted by nursing home staff. Another employee told police she heard the sound of running water coming from the room where the victim resides around 8 p.m. the night before. When she walked in, court records state, the 85-year-old woman was on the bed wearing nothing but a diaper.
Wambugu was seen in the room with his pants down, the witness reported, and appeared to be wiping his penis off with paper towels.
The employee told investigators she left the room immediately because she was scared.
The witness reported the incident to upper management the following morning around 7 a.m. after she clocked in at work. She told police she was afraid Wambugu would retaliate against her in some way if she reported the incident immediately.
The 85-year-old resident was examined at an area hospital for rape. She had trouble remembering some of the details because of her dementia, court records state, but recalled that she was almost asleep when a man assaulted her. She told police she was forced.
The woman also told medical staff “she felt violated” and that the whole experience was “awful and gross,” according to court documents.
Police first arrested Wambugu on Jan. 21. A search warrant was executed seeking possible evidence on his person at the time, court records state.
Wambugu was booked in the Johnson County jail on Feb. 4. He is being held on $500,000 bond.
A defense attorney for Wambugu did not immediately reply to The Star’s request for comment.
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 4:20 PM.
