Nurse's aide arrested in rape

Published: Thursday, July 12 2007 12:02 a.m. MDT

A nurse's aide was arrested Wednesday for allegedly raping an 85-year-old woman in his care, and investigators say they're concerned there may be other victims in the valley.

Jacob Mut Bolith, 30, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of rape and s being held on no bail. He also had an outstanding DUI warrant.

Bolith worked most recently at Christus St. Joseph Villa, 451 E. Bishop Federal Lane (1930 South). An 85-year-old female resident of the assisted living center said Bolith raped her, according to a Salt Lake County Jail booking report. An exam confirmed she was raped July 1.

When police interviewed Bolith, he denied attacking the woman.

"He said he has been accused other times and did not commit them either," the jail report stated.

Bolith has been a certified nurse's aide in Salt Lake County for 10 years, said Salt Lake City police detective Jared Wihongi. Investigators, however, do not know all the places where he has worked, he said.

Utah Department of Health spokesman Tom Hudachko said the state's certified nurse aid registry shows Bolith was the subject of a complaint stemming from a Dec. 19, 2006, incident at another facility involving an elderly female who said he inappropriately touched her.

Any negative finding, according to the registry, means the certified nurse's aide was the subject of a valid complaint of "resident abuse, neglect or misappropriation of resident property." A negative finding means the CNA cannot be employed by a Medicare-certified nursing facility.

It was unknown why Bolith was allowed to continue to work at the facility after the negative finding in June or if health officials who run the registry notified facilities of such findings.

Hudachko did say the names of newly hired CNAs are run through the registry when they first arrive and then on an annual basis.

Anyone with information on Bolith is asked to call the police department's Special Victims Unit at 799-3420.

Police say Bolith came to America as a refugee from Africa.


E-mail: preavy@desnews.com

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