A University of New Mexico Children's Hospital employee allegedly overdosed on drugs while watching over a 10-year-old patient in the hospital's psychiatric unit in May 2017, according to KRQE, which cited a recently filed lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges Kenneth Walden brought illicit drugs and weapons to work the evening he was assigned to look over the young patient, who allegedly saw Mr. Walden overdose.
"Mr. Walden came to work with a backpack that was filled with knives, handcuffs, drugs and drug paraphernalia," Heather Hansen, an attorney representing the patient, told KRQE. "Mr. Walden apparently went into our client's hospital bathroom and engaged in some sort of illicit drug use."
A police report from the time of the incident said a nurse who came to check on the young patient found Mr. Walden having a seizure in the bathtub in the patient's room. A drug test revealed Mr. Walden had methamphetamine in his system.
A hospital spokesperson told KRQE that Mr. Walden left hospital in June 2017, one month after the incident.
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