PORT ST. LUCIE, FL — A travel MRI technician has been arrested after police say a patient was sexually assaulted while undergoing a scan at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital. Port St. Lucie police identified the technician as 42-year-old Gabriel Cruz and said he was charged with sexual battery, a first-degree felony involving a victim who was physically helpless or incapacitated.
Investigators said the patient had been receiving medical treatment and was given medication before the MRI that left her significantly drowsy. Police said hospital staff contacted them after the patient reported the assault, and detectives began working the case the next day. The hospital said it removed the worker from his assignment and is helping investigators.
Police say hospital staff alerted them after the patient reported the assault
According to Port St. Lucie police, the investigation began Monday, one day after the alleged assault. Staff at the hospital told officers the patient said she had been sexually assaulted during her MRI appointment.
Authorities said the patient’s condition mattered to the case because she had already received medication that made her notably drowsy. Police described her as physically helpless or incapacitated in the charging documents. The accusation led detectives to focus quickly on the technician assigned to perform the scan.
Police said Cruz was the person assigned to the MRI at the time of the incident. He had been working at the hospital as a travel MRI technician since Aug. 24, according to investigators.
Surveillance video and recovered materials became part of the evidence
Detectives said they reviewed surveillance video from the MRI area as part of the investigation. Police said the footage showed the patient entering the MRI room and later being taken toward her hospital room.
Investigators also said Cruz was later seen leaving the MRI room and discarding materials that were recovered by detectives. Those items were secured and processed by Port St. Lucie police crime scene investigators.
Police said multiple items tested presumptively positive for the presence of male semen, which they described as additional evidence as the case moved forward. The department did not release more details about the testing in its public statement.
Cruz was arrested Wednesday and released the next day from jail records
Police arrested Cruz on Wednesday, and authorities said the arrest followed the evidence gathered during the investigation. He was charged with sexual battery, a serious felony under Florida law when the alleged victim is physically helpless or incapacitated.
Online booking records from the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office show that Cruz was released the following day. Police did not immediately release additional details about the circumstances of his release.
The arrest brought a quick response to a case that began with a patient’s report inside a hospital setting, where investigators say the alleged assault happened during routine medical imaging care.
HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital says it ended the technician's assignment
In a statement, HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital said it does not tolerate behavior that threatens the safety or security of patients. The hospital said that once the allegation was reported, it contacted law enforcement and ended the individual’s assignment.
The hospital also said it has assisted police throughout the investigation and remains focused on supporting the patient. That response placed the facility alongside detectives as the case continued to develop.
Hospitals often rely on contracted or traveling medical workers to fill staffing needs, and police said Cruz was serving in that role at the time. The statement did not provide further detail about his employment arrangements.
Police say the investigation remains active and urge victims to report assaults
Port St. Lucie police said the investigation is still active. They also urged anyone who has been sexually assaulted to contact authorities right away, saying reports can help investigators build a case.
“Your report matters and can help law enforcement investigate,” police said. That message came as officers continued to process the evidence and evaluate the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault.
The case now centers on the criminal charge, the patient’s condition at the time of the MRI, and the evidence police say they found in the imaging area. Authorities have not said whether additional charges are possible.
