Assault charges laid after ‘unauthorized physical contact with infants’ in Surrey hospital

Here’s what we know about the woman accused of sneaking into a hospital NICU and holding vulnerable babies.

Assault charges have been laid against a woman accused of breaking into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Surrey Memorial Hospital and engaging in “unauthorized physical contact with infants,” police announced Monday.

The charges stem from an Oct. 28 incident when a suspect allegedly gained entry to the NICU, removed her shirt and made skin-to-skin contact with three babies.

None of the infants were injured in the process, according to police, and hospital security removed the woman from the property.

The suspect remained unidentified until last week when Surrey Police Service released an image of the individual and asked for help from the public.

Lindsay Susan Hirtreiter, 35, was arrested over the weekend and has been charged with three counts of assault.

“The last thing I think you want to see in any hospital setting is someone who is potentially unauthorized gaining entry, whether it’s to a neonatal intensive care unit or any other specialized unit,” said Staff Sgt. Lindsay Houghton, SPS spokesperson.

The allegations were a popular topic at the B.C. legislature Monday.

Abbotsford-Mission Conservative MLA Reann Gasper, who also serves as the critic for child care, children and youth with support needs, sounded off on the B.C. NDP during question period.

“How on Earth was something this horrific allowed to happen in a B.C. hospital?” she said. ”Nurses aren’t safe, doctors aren’t safe, patients aren’t safe, and now even newborn babies aren’t safe.”

Health Minister Josie Osborne said she shared Gasper’s concerns about the incident, but described it as a learning experience.

“I know Fraser Health will continue to look at this and take everything they can and learn from this,” she said. “They have already updated their security protocols.”

How Hirtreiter was allegedly able to gain entry into the unit will not be known until the legal process plays out.

She has remained in custody since her arrest and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

• RELATED STORY: Surrey police seek suspect who allegedly broke into NICU, ‘made skin-to-skin contact’ with babies