Nurse Strangled From Behind at Nurses’ Station, Suspect Faces Attempted Murder Charges

Following news of a violent attack at a behavioral health facility that left one nurse unconscious and another injured, Nurse.org has learned of another assault on a nurse at work.

Nurse.org has obtained information about an attack on a nurse that occurred at Santa Rosa California Sutter Health Hospital in January 2026. Insiders to the incident called the attack an "attempted murder."

'Die, B**tch': A Nurse's Attack

According to the police report that Nurse.org was able to view, the attack occurred on January 17, 2026, and it was reported sometime in the afternoon.

The report details that the attacked nurse was working at their computer when Jonathon Calderon, a 30-year-old male, approached the victim from behind and proceeded to strangle him with a medical cord. As the assailant strangled the nurse, he told the victim to "Die, B**tch."

Image source: Police report

While the report did not detail exactly what kind of medical cord was used, it did note that the nurse who was attacked "struggled to breathe" for around three seconds while the cord was wrapped around his neck.

At least four witnesses named in the police report attempted to intervene and restrain the assailant to stop him from continuing the attack.

The victim and witnesses all stated in the report that due to the strength and force used in the strangulation, they believed the suspect "intended to kill the victim." The report did not clarify if the assailant was also a patient of the hospital. 

What Happened After the Attack?

Those with insider knowledge of the attack told Nurse.org that, unfortunately, the incident and attack did not garner a lot of media attention, even locally. Nurse.org was also unable to find any media coverage of the assault.

However, Calderon was booked and charged with two counts:

• Attempted murder: PC 665/187 (a) felony
• Using a deadly weapon: PC 12022 (b) (1) enhancement 

His court trial date is set for April 8, 2026, and he is currently in custody without bail. 

Sutter Health Statement

"The safety of our caregivers, patients, and visitors is our highest priority. We take these matters very seriously and continue to work closely with law enforcement, supported by an immediate and coordinated response from our security team," said a Sutter Health representative. 

Safety in California Hospitals

Cal/OSHA is required to post a workplace violence report on hospitals in California every year, and the last available report from 2021-2022 details:

• 10,280 violent incident reports from 301 hospital facilities during the reporting period
• 13 inspections by Cal/OSHA related to workplace violence hazards
• 3 total series citations out of those 13 inspections, including 1 repeat serious citation

Sutter Santa Rose Regional Medical Center was named in the report as a facility that submitted one or more safety-related incident reports, although exact details were not given about Cal/OSHA's findings on the hospital. 

What Nurses Need to Know

Workplace violence should never be tolerated, and there is help available. If you are a nurse who has been assaulted, call your local police department to report the assault and talk to your supervisor about next steps.

Some states, like California, for instance, also have online reporting available for qualified healthcare facilities. 

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