Housekeeper Charged in Disturbing Incident at Nursing Home

A White Plains nursing home had a disturbing incident happen last week, thankfully interrupted by a diligent nurse.

According to an announcement on Friday, February 27, from Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace a housekeeper at the Yorktown Rehabilitation and Nursing Center was arrested and charged with multiple felonies for allegedly raping a resident with severe dementia at the facility.

Javier E. Barragan, 48, of Yorktown, was arraigned over the weekend on Felony Second-Degree Rape and Felony First-Degree Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent* or Physically Disabled Person charges.

According to a supporting deposition from a nursing assistant that was filed with the court, on Feb. 21, at 7 a.m., the nursing assistant was making her final rounds when "she approached a room where the door had been left open and the bed privacy curtains had been drawn. When she began to enter the room, she noticed moaning and/or grunting sounds," she said.

After pulling back the privacy curtains, she reportedly witnessed Barragan, a housekeeping employee, on the bed with a patient. The defendant was “actively engaging in sexual intercourse with her,” according to her deposition.

The patient has dementia so severe that she is incapable of consenting to sexual contact, according to police.

“The defendant is accused of taking advantage of an individual with dementia so severe she was incapable of consenting to his conduct. My heart breaks for the victim and what she suffered through," DA Cacace said. "I am so proud of the nursing assistant in this case, whose interventions spared the victim further trauma and helped bring the defendant to justice. She has our entire community’s thanks and gratitude.”

Bail was set at $100,000 cash/$250,000 bond/$750,000 partially secured bond. Barragan is due back in court on March 10.