A nurse and a nursing assistant from Ocean County have been formally charged for their alleged roles in an incident involving an elderly resident at a Whiting rehabilitation center.
A state grand jury indicted Lisa L. Erikson, 56, of Manchester, on September 9, 2025, on multiple charges, including second and third-degree aggravated assault, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, third-degree neglect of an elderly or disabled adult, and fourth-degree assault on an institutionalized elderly person.
A certified nursing assistant, Joshua Benner, 34, of Brick, was charged in the same indictment with third-degree neglect of an elderly or disabled adult.
The charges stem from an event that allegedly occurred on the evening of March 19, 2025, at Whiting Gardens Rehabilitation and Nursing Center.
According to the indictment, the victim, an elderly man diagnosed with dementia, depression, and anxiety, was involved in an episode of disruptive behavior where he ripped computer and phone cords.
Documents state that as the man walked away from the nurses’ station holding the equipment, Erikson, a licensed practical nurse (LPN), approached him and deployed her personal oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray at close range.
The indictment alleges she sprayed him a second time as he attempted to shield himself before leaving him on the floor.
The victim reportedly remained unattended for several minutes before crawling to stand up and entering another resident’s room.
It is alleged that Erikson and Benner then forcibly moved the victim back to his own room and left him without aid.
Police and emergency medical services were called and arrived at approximately 8:53 p.m. The victim was treated at the scene and transported to a local hospital for further care.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said, “Residents of adult care facilities need to be treated with respect, dignity, and care. Physically assaulting a resident is inexcusable, and we will not stand by and allow such conduct to continue.”
The case is being prosecuted by the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU).
Platkin said the charges are merely accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted of the most serious second-degree charge, Erikson could face a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.