LOXAHATCHEE, FL — A quiet hospital room turned into a scene of unthinkable brutality when a patient unleashed a savage attack on his nurse, leaving her fighting for her life—and her sight. Stephen Scantlebury, 33, now faces attempted murder charges, but the chilling details of what happened at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital are raising eyebrows and tempers alike.
It was just past 1:20 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, when the 67-year-old nurse stepped in to check on Scantlebury, admitted under Florida’s Baker Act for a mental health crisis. Without warning, he leapt from his bed, tackled her to the floor, and pummeled her face with a barrage of punches. A witness bolted for help, but by the time security rushed in, the damage was done—Scantlebury only fled after another shout broke his frenzy, dashing from the third floor and onto Southern Boulevard, where Palm Beach County deputies nabbed him.
 |
The nurse? Airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in critical condition, her face a wreckage of shattered bones. “Almost every bone broken,” medics said—orbital fractures, brain bleeds, a busted collarbone, and swelling so bad she might never see again. Her daughter, a doctor named Cindy, told WPBF it wasn’t just one hit: “He kept going.” Witnesses say Scantlebury ranted about the nurse’s ethnicity mid-attack, landing him a hate crime charge on top of second-degree attempted murder by February 20.
Scantlebury’s unraveling wasn’t a total shock—he’d been paranoid for days, blaming random people for his troubles, per a bystander. Now, he’s locked up in Palm Beach County Jail, no bail, awaiting trial. The hospital’s reeling, with HCA Florida Healthcare calling it a “seconds-long tragedy” and vowing support. But Cindy’s question cuts deeper: “Where was security?”
