Gaithersburg, Maryland - Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Employee Charged With Sexually Assaulting Ambulance Patient

Worker Charged With Sexually Assaulting Woman in Ambulance Ride to Hospital

An employee with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue has been charged with allegedly sexually assaulting a woman who was being transported to the hospital in an ambulance this summer. The woman says that after the assault, the perpetrator also gave her his phone number.

According to Montgomery County police, 33-year-old Mario Arturo Obando-Rodrigues has been charged with assault and sexual offenses for allegedly touching the woman inappropriately “under the pretense of providing medical equipment” during the ambulance ride on July 13. He faces one count of second-degree assault and three counts of fourth-degree sexual offenses.

Obando-Rodriguez was arrested on November 30 and released after posting a $5,000 bond. He has worked with Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Services since 2013 and was with Fire Station 8 in Gaithersburg when the assault occurred.

Legal Recourse For Victims of Medical Sexual Assault

Medical professional sexual abuse attorney and contributor Aaron Blank represents victims of sexual assault in civil lawsuits. We have asked him to discuss the legal options available to those who have been sexually assaulted by emergency response personnel and others in the medical field:

When someone gets injured, ill, or another emergency comes up, our communities trust emergency response personnel to get them the help they need. While most of these individuals are heroes and valuable members of their communities, there have been cases of these workers sexually assaulting patients. The victims of these assaults have legal rights in both criminal and civil courts.

The police and criminal justice system are designed to handle the prosecution of sex offenders. Additionally, the civil court system provides victims with a way to secure financial compensation for the damages they’ve suffered by filing a lawsuit.

If you or someone you love has been sexually assaulted by an emergency services worker, you can learn more about your family’s legal options by speaking to an experienced sexual assault survivors attorney.