Man cops say sneaked into downtown Wichita hospital is charged with raping patients
A man accused of sneaking into a Wichita hospital where he sexually assaulted female patients last week was formally charged Wednesday with four counts of rape and two counts of misdemeanor battery.
Miguel Rodela, 28, of Wichita, was arrested after Wichita police say he sexually abused three females then got into a fight with security guards at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis. Police were called to the hospital in the early morning, around 2 a.m., on June 15.
Rodela, who police say was not a hospital patient or employee, made a first appearance in Sedgwick County District Court on Wednesday afternoon. Some of the four counts of rape are charged in the alternative, court records show.
In two counts, he is accused of rape involving sexual intercourse “without consent and use of force,” according to court records.
In another, he’s accused of rape by misrepresenting intercourse “as medically necessary.”
In a fourth count, Rodela is accused of rape involving “sexual intercourse with a physically powerless victim.”
Rape is a felony crime in Kansas.
The misdemeanor battery counts allege Rodela engaged in physical contact in a “rude, insulting, angry manner.” Wichita police said last week Rodela battered two of the security guards he scuffled with after he was caught but before police arrived at the downtown Ascension Via Christi campus.
It wasn’t immediately clear exactly how or when Rodela got into the hospital, 929 St. Francis in Wichita. A police spokesman told The Eagle last week he didn’t know.
That detail and others are likely contained in Rodela’s arrest affidavit, which could be released by a Sedgwick County judge in the coming weeks.
Rodela was ordered to return to court for another hearing on July 10, court records show. He remained in the Sedgwick County Jail on Wednesday afternoon. A judge set his bond at $250,000.
Responding to a request for comment Wednesday, Sedgwick County Chief Public Defender Sonya Strickland said Rodela’s file hadn’t yet made it to her office.
This story was originally published June 21, 2023 at 3:55 PM.
