Hospital rape case widens Man says he was sexually assaulted, complaint not taken seriously

Martin Chalecki, in his apartment at the Marina Village housing project in Bridgeport, Conn. on Thursday, December 4, 2014, claims he was molested by Gonzalo Flores while a patient at St. Vincent's Medical Center. Chalecki said he reported the molestation to the hospital at the time, but that his charges were dismissed by hospital authorities. less Martin Chalecki, in his apartment at the Marina Village housing project in Bridgeport, Conn. on Thursday, December 4, 2014, claims he was molested by Gonzalo Flores while a patient at St. Vincent's Medical ... more Photo: Brian A. Pounds Buy photo Photo: Brian A. Pounds Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Hospital rape case widens 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

BRIDGEPORT, CONN. -- The tears welled up in Martin Chalecki's eyes as he recalled not being able to scream when a male hospital employee allegedly molested him as he lay in bed suffering from pancreatitis.

"I wanted to scream in the worst way -- I tried to scream, but because I was on a lot of medication, no sounds would come out," he said Thursday. "This man stood over me, this smile on his face with hands that were cool and dry and did terrible things to me. I will never forget that smile on his face."

But what hurts Chalecki even more than that terrible memory, he said, is that if St. Vincent's Medical Center staff had taken his complaint seriously that day, Feb. 15, the alleged assailant -- now identified as nursing aide Gonzalo Flores -- might not have victimized anyone else, which is what two other hospital patients also accuse him of doing.

Chalecki has now been confirmed by police as the third victim of Flores, 53, an accused serial molester of male patients at the hospital, whose alleged actions have shocked St. Vincent's and the community.

Chalecki's complaint was the first accusation against Flores police and hospital staff said they had received. There was no arrest at the time, and the February allegation lingered, unsubstantiated, for months.

Then on June 7, an unidentified Fairfield man reported to police that he was sexually assaulted in his hospital room. In that incident, the victim was paralyzed, according to a police report.

Following that alleged attack, as police investigated Flores -- but before his arrest -- the hospital fired him on June 11.

Nearly a month later, on July 8, Flores was arrested and jailed on charges he sexually assaulted the Fairfield patient.

Flores' arrest has now cast an unwanted spotlight on St. Vincent's, which is scrambling with police to determine the full extent of Flores' alleged crimes during his nearly three years of employment at the Catholic hospital.

Dianne Auger, chief corporate affairs officer for St. Vincent's, said the hospital did take Chalecki's complaint on Feb. 15 very seriously, contrary to his contention.

And although hospital security later determined his claim was unsubstantiated, Auger said it was thoroughly investigated and they told Chalecki to call police.

"We followed every single process, and we take all allegations seriously," she said.

Auger said hospital security questioned the six staff members, including Flores, who would have had access to Chalecki's room during the time he said he was attacked, and none admitted assaulting him.

She said Chalecki did not know the name of the man he said molested him.

Hospital security did not bring employees to Chalecki so he could make a face-to-face identification, Auger said, nor did they show him photographs of employees.

More accusations

During the July 8 interview with Flores, the day of his arrest, police said he confessed to sexually assaulting more patients.

Then on Sept. 30, another alleged victim reported he was abused by Flores at the hospital on March 14, 2013 -- more than a full year before Chalecki's accusation.

On Nov. 15, while in jail, Flores was arrested a second time and charged with the sexual assault of the unidentified St. Vincent's patient in 2013-- the earliest known attack.

Bridgeport police Capt. Armando "A.J." Perez said Thursday police now expect to arrest Flores a third time for allegedly assaulting Chalecki because his case is now bolstered by Flores' confession.

"I feel so bad for those other men he did this to," Chalecki said Friday. "I just wish the hospital staff had listened to me."

On Tuesday, with the case heating up, Detective Walberto Cotto Jr. followed up on a Feb. 15 interview in Chalecki's Bridgeport home with a second interview.

"When he (Cotto) came to my apartment I couldn't stop crying," Chalecki said. "Finally, I thought here was someone who appeared to believe me!"

Chalecki, who is gay, said he was initially concerned his sexual orientation might have played a part in how his report was received, so he was doubly relieved that police were paying attention again.

The next day, Thursday -- nearly 10 months after Chalecki first reported the sex assault to the hospital -- police for the first time showed him a series of photographs of different men.

"Then they showed me six or eight photographs of different men and I picked him (Flores) right out," Chalecki said. "You don't forget when someone does that to you. I remembered that smile on his face."

Chalecki's story

The 39-year-old Chalecki is no stranger to the medical field.

A licensed practical nurse, he worked with the American Red Cross as part of disaster relief teams at ground zero in New York and in the aftermath of hurricanes Hugo and Katrina. He has numerous letters and certificates of appreciation scattered around his small Marina Village apartment, including one signed by President George Bush.

Chalecki said his downward spiral in life began on Jan. 18, 2011, when he slipped on some ice on North Street in Stamford, where he was caring for a hospice patient, and broke both his legs and injured his back.

He was unable to continue working because of his injury, which led to numerous hospital visits for various maladies. He is still unable to get around without the help of crutches.

On Feb. 12, he was admitted to St. Vincent's Hospital for pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas.

Auger confirmed that Chalecki was in the hospital from Feb. 12 to 15.

Sometime before noon on Feb. 15, Chalecki was in bed and medicated when he said a man came into his room.

"I couldn't move because of all the medication," he said. "This man came in with this big smile on his face. He came over to me and started rubbing my legs and then his hands began moving up... all the time he had that smile on his face," Chalecki related between fits of crying. "I'm sorry, I'm still very emotional about all of it."

Chalecki said he just lay in the bed crying after the man left, until his roommate showed up.

"My roommate called the nurse, but instead of helping me, the nurse accused me of making it all up," he said. "She just kept saying `come on frequent flyer Martin, just stop lying. The doctor is not going to give you any more medication, come on frequent flyer Martin.' "

Auger said she has heard the term "frequent flyer" used in health care settings and is aware that Chalecki has been in the hospital many times for treatment.

"But the nursing notes I have looked at show they took very good care of Mr. Chalecki."

Chalecki said he called hospital security from his room, and a security officer showed up a short time later, but didn't take his account seriously.

"He wrote something down, but I could tell he didn't believe me," he said.

Auger said the nurse told her supervisor about Chalecki's complaint and the supervisor called security. She said a security officer came to Chalecki's room.

"He talked to Mr. Chalecki, who told the security officer that a staff member had come into his room and he described the man as wearing a gray shirt and gray pants and no badge," Auger said. "The security officer asked Mr. Chalecki to review with him what happened, but each time Mr. Chalecki told the security officer what happened, it was a bit inconsistent."

The security officer spent 60 minutes talking to Chalecki, Auger said. At one point, Chalecki appeared frustrated and was concerned he wasn't being believed, Auger said. She said a couple of times he said he needed to call police.

Auger said the security officer offered to call police for him, but Chalecki declined.

Chalecki was discharged from the hospital later that day and went home to his then-East Washington Avenue apartment.

At 5:30 p.m. Feb. 15, the evening of the alleged attack, Officer Sheldon Mayne arrived at Chalecki's apartment to talk to him about his complaint, according to a police report. Chalecki said the officer asked him if he still wanted to file a complaint, and Chalecki said he did.

"He then told me he wanted to go back and talk to the hospital staff and he left," Chalecki said. "He was back in less than a half-hour. He said he reviewed the tapes with security, and no men were in my hospital room between 8 a.m. and 12 noon. He said, `Are you sure the drugs didn't make you hallucinate? He kept saying `are you sure, are you sure?' Then he said if I made a false account, I could be arrested," Chalecki said. "He had me doubting myself and finally I told him, `All right I won't do anything, and he left.' "

Torn up

Auger was adamant that there are no security cameras, either in patients' rooms, or outside the rooms.

She confirmed that on Feb. 15 a police officer did speak to the security staff about Chalecki's complaint, and then went back to talk to Chalecki.

"But there was no video to see," Auger said.

According to Mayne's report, "I made a follow-up to said hospital and met with their security who immediately recognize (sic) the incident. They advised me that (Chalecki) did file a report with them. They also said that (Chalecki) was very belligerent and appeared disoriented. The hospital security stated that they interviewed the nurses that attended to him at the time and they told them that no one matching that description was ever in his room ... I returned to (Chalecki's) apartment to advise him of my findings when he told me he made a mistake because he was heavily medicated on Dilaudid and maybe it didn't happen."

Mayne did not show Chalecki any photographs of hospital staff for him to identify his attacker, according to the report.

Mayne's report says nothing about videotape.

Auger said Chalecki was sent a letter on Feb. 26 from Darol Bates, the director of patient experience, advising him they were taking his complaint seriously and it was being investigated, but could not be substantiated.

On March 24, Bates sent another letter to Chalecki repeating that his complaint could not be substantiated, but urging him to follow up with police, Auger said.

Chalecki recalls getting one letter, but said he was so upset, he tore it up.