Luis Alfonso Lucero, a Miami, Florida nurse technician, was arrested Tuesday after investigators accused him of raping a patient at Kendall Regional Medical Center, sources say. Lucero, 37, was taken into police custody on a single count of sexual battery following the alleged incident. Investigators have not released the victim's name, but she is reportedly a female and is 45 years of age. It is unclear whether Lucero has qualified for bail bond. It is also not currently known whether Lucero has retained a private criminal defense lawyer.
Reports say the victim was admitted to the Kendall Regional Medical Center on August 2 for alcohol poisoning. Medical workers had reportedly admitted the woman under the Baker Act, which stipulates that patients can be involuntary examined if they are mentally ill or at risk of causing harm to themselves or others, sources say. The woman was considered to be a risk to herself or others because of her intoxicated state, sources allege.
Detectives purported that Lucero was in charge of the woman and was the only one in a room with her for a time. During that period, he allegedly engaged in sexual intercourse with the woman against her will. It is unclear whether the woman was lucid during the experience, or under any sort of medication; however, reports indicate that she was able to recall the incident well enough to report it. It is not known whether there were security cameras in the room.
Sometime after the alleged assault, detectives and the victim arranged a monitored phone call between Lucero and the woman. While police listened in, Lucero reportedly admitted over the phone call to having non-consensual sex with the victim, reports say. The Mimi-Dade police then arrested Lucero, who now awaits trial.
Of course, Luis is not the only South Floridian facing criminal charges. The Events Director at Florida A&M, Tammy Hamlet, is facing minor fraud charges after she allegedly requested inappropriate travel expenditures from the university, reports say. Hamlet, 45, turned herself over to the Leon County Jail on Monday, but was released shortly after on bail. She is facing multiple charges, including eight misdemeanor counts of fraud.
Sources say that Hamlet's position as the University's Director of Events meant she was in charge of arranging events such as recruitment, board meetings, and similar activities. In order to exercise her duties, she had to do a fair bit of traveling. According to reports, on eight of these trips, Hamlet reported false departure and return times in order to receive extra compensation for necessities such as gasoline and food. Detectives reported that she would be granted around $150 to $330 in compensations, which state law says she was ineligible to receive as a public employee.
Reports say Hamlet, who worked at her current position since 2008, did not actually fill out any of her own forms, but instead reported them to a co-worker who would file them for her. If the co-worker ever questioned seemingly inaccurate information, Hamlet would reportedly claim the inconsistencies away as oversights or mistakes.
Overall, an FDLE inspector says Hamlet collected $1,821 in false claims between July 2010 and June 2011. As a result of the recent charges, she was let go from the University on Tuesday, the FAMU president told press.
