A nurse will return to court March 15 after he was charged with sexually assaulting an 87-year-old woman with dementia at a senior living facility in Santa Ana.

He had worked at the facility for three years.

Juan Sandoval, 33, of Orange, was charged Monday with one felony count each of assault with the intent to commit a sex offense and sexual battery on an institutional victim and a misdemeanor count of inflicting injury on an elder adult.

Sandoval pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in the jail courtroom and was ordered to return to court March 15 for a pretrial hearing in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.

Police were called to the Sunflower Gardens Senior Living Facility at 12:37 p.m. Thursday regarding an allegation that a caretaker at the nursing home sexually assaulted a resident earlier that day, Santa Ana police said.

Sandoval allegedly took the woman down a hallway into a bedroom, where he sexually assaulted her. A co-worker walking by the room saw the alleged attack through an open door and confronted Sandoval, who “got dressed” and left the room, investigators said.

The co-worker immediately alerted a supervisor. When officers arrived, Sandoval was still on the job and was arrested without incident, police said.

The facility cares for more than 40 clients who suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and police said they are concerned there may be more victims.

Anyone with information helpful to investigators was asked to call detectives at 714-345-8343 or send an email to gcorona@santa-ana.org. Orange County Crime Stoppers will accept anonymous tips at 855-TIP-OCCS.

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