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Nurse Charged with Injecting Patients with Bleach

LUFKIN, Texas — A former nurse accused of intentionally injecting bleach into two patients at a dialysis center was arrested Friday, police said.

Two witnesses said they saw Kimberly Clark Saenz, 34, draw bleach into syringes and inject it into two patients’ dialysis lines at the DaVita Dialysis Center on April 28, Lufkin police said in a statement.

Both patients survived, but one required treatment at a hospital, police said.

Police said tests showed bleach in the syringes and dialysis lines.

Saenz, who remained in Angelina County jail Friday evening, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault. Her bail was set at $200,000. A jail official said he did not know whether she had an attorney. Attempts to find her home phone number were unsuccessful.

DaVita spokesman Michael Chee said Saenz was fired from the center on April 29, a day after it was closed by authorities investigating the deaths of four patients in April.

“We hope that this individual is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Chee, who added that they are continuing to work with the police and state health authorities. He said the center remains closed.

Police spokesman Lt. David Young said that the investigation continues.

El Segundo, California-based DaVita has more than 1,300 outpatient facilities across the U.S.

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