Nurse charged with raping disabled Arizona patient who gave birth

Nathan Sutherland is shown in this booking photo in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., provided January 23, 2019. Maricopa Sheriff's Office/Handout via REUTERS

(Reuters) - Police in Phoenix, Arizona charged a nurse at a long-term care facility on Wednesday with raping a severely disabled patient, who unexpectedly gave birth in December after being institutionalized for more than 25 years.

The Dec. 29 birth set off a massive investigation, with police gathering DNA samples from male employees at the facility as they tried to determine who had assaulted the patient. The woman, who is in her 20s, has spent most of her life in Phoenix's Hacienda Healthcare since suffering a childhood injury.