Nurse pleads guilty to pepper-spraying elderly resident at Ocean County long-term care facility
The nurse admitted that she sprayed a man several times and left him without care at a Whiting nursing home.
A nurse has pleaded guilty to assaulting an elderly man with dementia by spraying him several times with pepper spray and then leaving him without care at a nursing home in Ocean County.
Lisa L. Erikson, 57, of Manchester, pleaded guilty to second-degree aggravated assault, third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and third-degree neglect of an elderly adult, law enforcement officials said Friday.
As part of the plea agreement, Erikson will permanently surrender her nursing license. Prosecutors will recommend that she serve 364 days in a county jail as a condition of probation.
Her sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13 before Superior Court Judge Kimarie Rahill in Ocean County.
Erikson was working as a licensed practical nurse at the Whiting Gardens Rehabilitation and Nursing Center on March 19, 2025, when she assaulted an elderly resident who had dementia, depression, and anxiety, according to court records. Located at 3000 Hilltop Road in Whiting, the nursing home is operated by Complete Care at Whiting LLC. The company operates 49 nursing homes in New Jersey.
Erikson took out her pepper spray, walked toward the resident, and sprayed him at close range as he tried to shield himself. She then sprayed him again and left him on the floor.
The man remained unattended for several minutes before crawling to his feet and entering another resident’s room.
Erikson and another person then forcibly removed him from that room, put him in his own room, and shut the door without providing him with any medical assistance, according to court records.
Police and emergency medical workers later responded to the facility, treated the man, and transported him to a hospital.
The case was prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Insurance Fraud Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
As part of her guilty plea, Erikson admitted that she was not authorized to use the pepper spray on the nursing home resident and that she used it for an unlawful purpose. She also admitted leaving the resident without care despite having a duty to care for him.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said the nurse’s conduct was deeply disturbing.
“This defendant was entrusted with the care of an elderly resident and instead assaulted and neglected him,” Davenport said in a statement. “Such conduct is wholly unacceptable, and those who abuse or neglect elderly residents in their care must be held accountable.”
If you suspect Medicaid fraud or elder abuse or neglect, report it to the state Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at 609-292-1272 or NJMFCU@njdcj.org.
Krystal Knapp is the founder, executive director, and publisher of The Jersey Vindicator and the founder of Planet Princeton. She has more than two decades of experience reporting in New Jersey, including 10 years at The Trenton Times, where she was the newsroom’s public records and computer-assisted reporting expert. Her work has been recognized by the New Jersey Press Association and the Center for Cooperative Media. You can reach her at Krystal AT jerseyvindicator.org.