Former nurse charged with raping two disabled patients in Shoreline

A former nurse at an assisted living facility in Shoreline has been charged with multiple counts of rape of patients at the facility.

Caretaker Romulo Ramos de Guzman was charged with two counts of second-degree rape at the Aegis Living Center in Shoreline. Both victims have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and suffer from “significant cognitive impairment,” according to court documents obtained by several media outlets, including KOMO News and KING 5. The documents identify the victims only by their initials.

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“We deeply regret the pain and trauma these residents and their families have endured,” Aegis Living Shoreline told both media outlets in a prepared statement. “We remain deeply concerned about this incident and the impact of the recent charges on our residents and their families. We are committed to ensuring their safety, well-being and happiness in our community.”

One of the victims reported her sister’s sexual assault back in November 2022, according to court documents obtained by the media, and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. According to the victim, the sexual assaults began several weeks earlier and occurred at least four times.

A second victim said she was raped by de Guzman just two days before the first victim’s testimony.

De Guzman denied the rape allegations and left the country for the Philippines for nearly a year. When he returned to the U.S., he was under constant surveillance, according to court documents noted in the reports. During that time, investigators found a cigarette he had discarded and eventually matched DNA found on the cigarette to the victim’s DNA profile, leading to de Guzman’s arrest.

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The state requested that de Guzman’s bail be set at $350,000 because the defendant poses “a serious flight risk.” If he posts bail, de Guzman must surrender his passport.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and email him here.