Bloomingdale, Ill. – A judge granted prosecutors’ request Wednesday to detain a Harvey man charged with sexually assaulting a resident at a Bloomingdale health care facility, authorities said.
According to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office, Judge Joshua Dieden granted the state’s motion to detain Miguel Palacios, 26, pending trial. Palacios is charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony, and one count of unlawful restraint, a Class 4 felony, prosecutors said.
Authorities said Palacios is a certified nursing assistant who worked at Alden Village, a health care facility in the 200 block of East Lake Street in Bloomingdale. Prosecutors allege he sexually assaulted a resident who is physically and intellectually disabled. The victim is non-verbal and has physical disabilities including quadriplegia, officials said.
The alleged assault was reported Tuesday. The Bloomingdale Police Department was dispatched about 10:30 p.m. to Alden Village for a call of a sexual assault in progress, according to the state’s attorney’s office. Following an investigation, authorities allege Palacios assaulted the victim while the resident was in bed. Officials said the incident came to attention after another employee heard noises from the room and checked on residents.
Palacios, who authorities said lives in the 15000 block of Carse Avenue in Harvey, appeared in First Appearance Court Wednesday morning.
His next scheduled court appearance is Monday, March 23, before Judge Brian Telander, according to prosecutors. If convicted, Palacios faces a potential sentence of six to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, officials said.
The charges are allegations. Palacios is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
For students and young workers entering health care jobs, officials emphasized the importance of patient safety and professional boundaries.
