Police have arrested an ultrasound technician for six counts of sexual battery against two adult male patient victims. Detectives believe it is possible other victims may exist as well.
On Monday, April 10, 2023, at about 5:21 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a man in his forties who reported he had been sexually assaulted about two weeks earlier by a male ultrasound technician while an in-patient at Stanford Health Care at 500 Pasteur Drive. The victim said the suspect had fondled his genitals during ultrasound procedures on two separate occasions. Police identified and contacted the suspect and completed a crime report with the assistance of hospital staff.
On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at about 1:09 p.m., our 24-hour dispatch center received a call from a different man in his forties who reported he had been sexually assaulted the previous day by the same ultrasound technician while an in-patient at Stanford Health Care at 500 Pasteur Drive. The victim said the suspect had fondled his genitals during an ultrasound procedure. He reported the incident to hospital staff right away and contacted police the next day. Hospital administrators placed the suspect on administrative leave.
Detectives investigated both incidents with the cooperation of hospital staff and noted distinct similarities between the statements of the two victims. Medical personnel completed a forensic medical examination on the second victim, due to the recency of the assault. Detectives submitted both cases to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for complaint review, and a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge signed an arrest warrant for the suspect for six felony counts of sexual battery (four for the first victim, two for the second victim).
On Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at about 11:54 a.m., detectives arrested the suspect, 56-year-old Mitchell Van Vu of Bay Point, without incident in the 2800 block of Rio Seco Drive in Bay Point. Police booked the suspect into the Santa Clara County Main Jail pursuant to the warrant. His booking photo is available at www.cityofpaloalto.org/PAPDnews.
Detectives believe it is possible that other victims may exist and encourage anyone who thinks they may have been sexually assaulted by the suspect during a medical procedure to contact us immediately at (650) 329-2413. The suspect has previously worked at other hospitals as well, both in the Bay Area and in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Anyone with information about this suspect is asked to call our 24-hour dispatch center at (650) 329-2413. Anonymous tips can be e-mailed to [email protected] or sent via text message or voice mail to (650) 383-8984.
