A Long Island nurse has been taken into custody on grave felony charges after purportedly assaulting a young boy with cerebral palsy. Suffolk County authorities confirmed the arrest following an incident that occurred in the child's home and was captured on a surveillance camera, raising alarms about the safety of vulnerable children under the care of health professionals.
Bruno Valenzuela, a 31-year-old nurse employed by the Christian Nursing Registry in Smithtown, stands accused of striking and mishandling Maverick Brower, a nonverbal and nonambulatory 5-year-old, on December 20th. The boy's father, Christopher Brower, an NYPD detective, discovered the injuries and immediately reviewed the footage from cameras installed in his son's bedroom. News 12 reported that the video reveals Valenzuela slapping Maverick's chest, lifting and shaking him, and telling him to "relax" as the child cried.
The family was quick to act upon witnessing the disturbing evidence. Christopher Brower filed a police report and took his son to Stony Brook University Hospital to document the injuries. As a result, on January 15th, Valenzuela was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and endangering a physically disabled person, both felonies. Despite pleading not guilty, Valenzuela was released under supervised conditions, which included wearing an ankle monitor, and a temporary order of protection was granted for the family.
The Christian Nursing Registry responded promptly to the incident by terminating Valenzuela's employment. Agency representatives, who were shocked by the incident, confirmed that Valenzuela's background check and documentation were up to date, and they had no prior indication of such behavior, having known him as a trusted part of the Brower family for over three years.
The case has cast a spotlight on the critical need for accountability in home caregiving, especially for children with special needs. Experts in the field, such as Lori Podvesker, director of disability and education policy at INCLUDEnyc, stress the importance of families conducting thorough vetting of agencies and caregivers.
The incident has left an emotional scar on the Brower family, with Maverick's parents having to secure new care for their son. "That's the part that upsets me the most—he couldn't tell us what happened," Christopher Brower lamented.
Authorities are now urging anyone with information on similar behavior from Valenzuela to come forward, as the case underscores the importance of vigilance and proper oversight in caregiving. The disturbing footage serves as a powerful reminder of the risks associated with even the most trusted caregivers, emphasizing the need for families to demand accountability and remain watchful for any signs of potential abuse.
