Worker at care home castrates disabled man

[SplitDik (imported)]

There is a picture of the attacker with the article:

http://www.wataugademocrat.com/2006/052 ... ation.php3

Zionville man accused of castration, mutilation

By Jerry Sena

jtsena@wataugademocrat.com

The Watauga County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a bizarre assault on a patient at a local residential care home, according to Sheriff Mark Shook.

Steven Neal Rodriguez, 29, of 423 Silverleaf Road, Zionville, was arrested May 23 on felony charges of assault on the handicapped and malicious castration.

Rodriguez, a caretaker at the RHA Health Services group home on Wildcat Road in Deep Gap, is accused of mutilating the genitals of a 35-year-old mentally and physically disabled man on May 15.

“This is a very unusual case,” Shook said.

“In my 20 years in law enforcement, I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The victim was named in court documents as Choe Wilborn. He was taken for treatment to the Watauga Medical Center where he is reportedly recovering from his injuries.

Shook declined to comment on a motive for the assault.

Gordon J. Simmons, CEO of RHA Health Services, said Rodriguez had worked as a habitation technician at the home for about five years.

“We were shocked,” Simmons said of the allegations against Rodriguez. “We’d never had any trouble from him before now.”

Simmons said Wilborn’s injuries were discovered “best guess, about 15 to 20 minutes” after being inflicted.

He said Wilborn had been transported to the medical center immediately after.

Managers with the care home, which is one of 10 facilities the company operates in Watauga County, called the Sheriff’s Office when they began to suspect the wounds might not be self-inflicted.

Simmons said his company is also conducting an investigation into the incident.

Rodriguez was being held Friday at the Watauga County Detention Center pending a $500,000 secured bond.

He is scheduled to appear June 28 in District Court