WARNING: Some of the images featured in the above video are graphic.
SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - The District Attorney's office is looking into whether it will file criminal charges against two local nurses hired to care for a 98-year-old woman in a shocking case of apparent abuse.
According to the complaint filed with the Board of Registered Nursing, their on-the-job conduct was "vile, disrespectful and abusive" and much of it was captured on tape.
"The images themselves are extremely disturbing and were a huge shock to my clients," said William Berman the attorney for the patient's family.
Two registered nurses, identified in court documents as Alfredo Ruiz and Russel Torralba, had been hired last year to care for a 98-year-old stroke victim in her own home* in San Diego County.
"They were paying over $1300 a day or $30,000 a month for what they believed was going to be high end, skilled licensed care," explained Berman.
Instead what they received, according to surveillance video obtained by News 8, showed the two male nurses repeatedly performing lewd sexual acts on each other, as their nearly 100-year-old charge is forced to watch. On at least five occasions, Torralba can be seen groping, fondling and masturbating Ruiz.
At one point, one of the nurses can be seen holding on to the patient while he's being fondled and on another occasion appears to kiss the woman.
The patient's family, who asked not to reveal her identity, had originally set up the surveillance camera after suspecting their loved one wasn't receiving adequate medical care.
"To their shock and surprise, it wasn't just a lack of care, but far worse than that," continued Berman.
Neither Ruiz nor Rorralba were home when News 8 tried to contact them for comment, although we were told Alfredo Ruiz is still working as a nurse...
News 8 also paid a visit to AMS Homecare Solutions, the home health agency which had employed Ruiz and Torralba. This is what they said to us:
"You need to call attorney please."
News 8 did reach out to the attorneys for AMS Homecare as well as Alfredo Ruiz and Russel Torralba, but have not received a response.
At this point, both men have been barred by the state from working for a home health agency, but can work in a hospital, provided they do not work together.