A hospital patient showed up at the home of a nurse a day after she admitted him, and claimed she was his wife while unleashing a violent attack on the health worker and her mother before she fought him off with a knife, authorities said.
Leonardo Larrarte, 37, of Lakewood, was charged with attempted kidnapping, burglary, terroristic threats, simple assault and possession of synthetic marijuana, Howell police said in a statement.
The attack unfolded Friday around 3:30 p.m. when Larrarte showed up at the nurse’s Howell residence. The nurse, who works at Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus in Lakewood, reported Larrarte knocked at her door before her mother let him inside, police said.
The nurse immediately recognized Larrarte as a man she’d seen the night before at work and demanded he leave, but he refused, according to police. Larrarte went after the nurse and attacked her mother too.
Meanwhile, a friend upstairs in the home heard the disturbance and called 911, but didn’t know the house number, authorities said. Police rushed to the area where they received the cell phone call, police said.
“Downstairs, the assault was violent,” the police statement said. “The suspect claimed the victim was his wife and demanded she come with him or he would kill her mother.”
The nurse grabbed a knife from the kitchen and tried to defend herself from Larrarte, who avoided being stabbed, according to police. He punched and choked the woman, but fled as she continued to fight back.
Neighbors heard the chaos and also called police, the statement said. Using a description of the alleged attacker, a Howell police sergeant located and arrested Larrarte nearby, police said. Her remained jailed late Sunday awaiting court appearances.
Police said it was unclear how Larrarte learned where the nurse lived, but investigators would be analyzing two seized cell phones. Larrarte, authorities said, also gave a statement implicating himself in the case. A hospital spokeswoman would not comment, citing the police investigation.
“Our homes are our sanctuary. A place that should always be safe. No one should have to go through such a traumatic, life altering incident such as this. Fortunately, she fought back and refused to quit,” Howell Police Chief Andrew Kudrick said in the statement. “As a result she survived. Predators such as Larrarte should never be allowed to see another day of freedom to victimize another innocent person.”
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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.