Help pours in for NJ hospital worker nearly burned to death by nurse
HACKENSACK — A GoFundMe page has been created for the 54-year-old female hospital employee who was set on fire and beaten with a wrench in the break room at Hackensack University Medical Center.
The beloved patient care tech, who remains in critical but stable condition, suffered third-degree burns to her face and multiple areas of her body. She was later transferred to a specialized burn hospital for further treatment, according to the page.
Nicholas Pagano, 31, attacked the unidentified woman at the hospital on Feb. 7 with what appeared to be a culinary torch, according to sources who spoke to NBC New York.
He also hit her in the head with a wrench, leaving a gash that required stitches, police said.
Pagano fled the hospital and was later found dead from an apparent suicide in Waterford Township. Investigators believe he may have used a gun stolen from his brother's house to kill himself.
The is described as a hard-working woman. Many colleagues and patients said they enjoyed working with her.
The organizers of the GoFundMe describe her as "a kind woman who worked hard every day and never took any shortcuts. She always came to work with a smile on he face and was always willing to help whenever possible."
The victim reportedly has one son in college and one daughter in high school.
As of Feb. 11, the page has raised almost $9,200 so far to help pay for the woman's recovery.
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New Jersey's least populated municipalities, according to the 2020 Census. This list excludes Pine Valley, which would have been the third-smallest with 21 residents but voted to merge into Pine Hill at the start of 2022.
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