Florida home nurse accused of taping nonverbal patient's mouth shut and abusing her
05/12/2025 12:49 pm PDT
ST. CLOUD, Fla. (TCN) -- Police recently arrested a 24-year-old home health nurse on suspicion of abusing an 18-year-old nonverbal patient who was "completely unable to defend herself or cry out for help."
According to a May 8 news release from the St. Cloud Police Department, the victim's family obtained security footage from their home revealing that Nia Ayers allegedly repeatedly taped the patient's mouth shut and ripped it off. Surveillance also reportedly captured Ayers "holding a washcloth to cover the girl's mouth," as well as "shaking the nonverbal patient's BiPAP breathing machine while the device was connected to the patient's nose."
According to officers, the girl's mother reviewed the security footage and called law enforcement after she observed cuts and scrapes on her daughter's face.
Police noted that the patient's "medical condition leaves her unable to defend herself."
Ayers faces a charge of aggravated abuse of the elderly or disabled. She turned herself in to St. Cloud Police on May 7 and was booked into the Osceola County Department of Corrections.
In a statement, Chief of Police Douglas Goerke called it a "truly heinous act" and said, "We are concerned there may be other victims."
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