States Attorney
Former Health Care Employee Gets 25 Years For Sexual Assault
WHEATON - DuPage County State’s Attorney Joseph E. Birkett today announced that a former nurse’s aide at the Alden Health Care facility, located in Bloomingdale, was sentenced to 25 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the sexual assault of a severely mentally handicapped resident at the facility.
On November 15, 2006, Reynaldo Brucal, Jr., 20, (d.o.b 5/1/87) of 1066 N. Knollwood Drive, Schaumburg, entered a blind plea of guilty to one count of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Assault, a Class X Felony, before Judge George Bakalis. Upon entering his plea, Brucal faced penalties of up to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.
“Sexual assault is one of the worst crimes a person can commit,” remarked Birkett. “Mr. Brucal sexually assaulted a severely handicapped woman who was unable to fight back or to even communicate to others what Brucal had done to her. Mr. Brucal was entrusted with the victim’s care. He betrayed that trust by raping her. As Judge Bakalis said, what Mr. Brucal did is beyond outrageous as the sentence reflects.”
The assault on the victim went undetected for nearly seven months. In June, 2005, the victim went to the hospital with concerns about her feeding tube, at this time it was discovered that she was 28 weeks pregnant. On July 20, 2005, the victim gave birth to a baby girl. Upon being apprised of the facts, State’s Attorney Birkett directed his assistants and investigators to obtain a DNA sample from all male employees of the facility who would have had access to the victim. That DNA sweep led to Brucal’s arrest and prosecution. State’s Attorney Birkett thanked the administrative staff at Alden for their cooperation and assistance in solving this case.
“We will continue to do all in our power to assist the victim, her child and her family,” concluded Birkett.
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