LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- A Lee County woman is suing Lee Memorial Health System over claims that a male nurse raped her while she was a patient in Cape Coral Hospital in 2015.
The victim says that in March 2015, she was a patient at the hospital and on narcotic pain medication when nurse Jeovanni Hechavarria inappropriately touched her without consent.
Later that evening she said she woke up to find Hechavarria having sex with her. "I woke up three hours later to him on top of me," she told Fox 4 last year. "I looked at him and said 'what are you doing?' And he said, 'Oh, don't worry about it nobody will ever know.'"
Her lawsuit, filed April 12, 2018, names Lee Memorial Health System and Hechavarria as defendants, as well as hospital CEO Dr. Lawrence Antonucci.
All three are also named in another lawsuit filed by a different woman alleging a similar incident in July 2016.
Hechavarria was fired after that incident and later arrested in September.
This victim is suing for damages due to mental pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disability and physical impairment, and past and future medical payments.
According to the Florida Department of Health, Hechevarria still has a restricted license to practice. "The license of Jeovanni Hechavarria, R.N remains restricted to prohibit Mr. Hechavarria from practicing in any capacity in the state of Florida as a nurse with female patients unless there is a Department-licensed healthcare provider present with Mr. Hechavarria at all times," said a representative.
Lee Health issued the following statement on the lawsuit:
"The safety and well-being of our patients is our highest priority. All of our employees undergo a thorough background screening process before employment, which includes a national and local criminal record search. Lee Health takes these matters very seriously. When a criminal allegation is made, we promptly respond, report the matter to the appropriate authorities and fully cooperate with law enforcement."
