13-Year-Old Child Bites Wynn Hospital Nurse Hard Enough to Break Skin

A 13-year-old was released on an appearance ticket after police say they attacked and injured the nurse that was helping them.

A bizarre and horrific scene unfolded at Wynn Hospital in Utica earlier this month.

Utica Police said officers were called to the area hospital on Wednesday, March 5, for an alleged assault on a staff member. Upon arriving and speaking with witnesses, authorities learned a nurse suffered a serious injury at the hands - or teeth - of a juvenile.

According to police, the nurse had been caring for a 13-year-old patient in the Emergency Department when the juvenile became combative.

Police said, "the juvenile grabbed the nurse’s hair, pulled her down, and then bit her on the arm breaking the skin causing substantial pain and injury to the nurse."

Authorities say the child was charged with Assault in the second degree, which is classified as a Class D felony in New York State.

However, due to the child's age, police released them on an appearance ticket.

Authorities did not provide any further information regarding the child's name, gender, or why they were being treated at the hospital to begin with. No further updates were provided on the nurse's condition, either.

While most human bites aren't serious, they can be if the skin is broken.

Mount Sinai says that human bites "may be more dangerous than animal bites" because of the bacteria we have in our mouths. If a human bites someone hard enough to break the skin, germs from their mouth can get into the wound and possibly cause "hard-to-treat infections."

In some cases, human bites can infect someone with HIV/AIDS, as well as hepatitis B or C, the report said.

It is strongly recommended that anyone who sustains a bite that breaks the skin seek medical attention within 24 hours. Tetanus shots, antibiotics, and surgery may be needed, according to Mount Sinai.

[AUTHOR'S NOTE: This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from Utica Police Department. Regardless of any statements or photographs regarding potential evidence presented or accusations alleged, the reader is reminded that all suspects and/or arrested persons are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. At the time of this posting no additional information is available.]