Florida Nurse Told Premature Baby’s Alarm To Be “Quiet” And Silenced It All Night While She Tried To Breathe, Police Say.

The baby was born at 24 weeks and required nightly oxygen monitoring. Home cameras caught the nurse silencing the alarm repeatedly as her blood pressure continued to drop, police said. His parents didn’t find out until morning.

Home surveillance captured 65-year-old Sharlene Janet Pflugrad sedating a premature infant during the night shift on Sept. 15, 2025, according to a Cape Coral Police Department affidavit. Investigators reviewed 147 video clips that allegedly showed her sedating warnings, switching sensors, telling the monitor to “shut up,” and continuing to silence the alarms without giving the child oxygen or calling 911.

The baby, born at 24 weeks, required continuous oxygen monitoring while he slept. Under the plan of care approved by the doctor, Pflugrad was supposed to administer two liters of oxygen, alert the parents, contact his nursing agency, and call 911 if his oxygen concentration dropped below 88%.

Instead, the affidavit says he sent the boy’s mother a text message at 11:24 p.m. with pictures that read 81% and 79%, and did nothing. The mother didn’t see the message until 6:13 a.m. She and the father found their son still struggling to breathe and called 911 after four gallons of air failed to restore his levels to a safe level.

Doctors at Golisano Children’s Hospital diagnosed RSV bronchiolitis, respiratory acidosis, and prolonged hypoxia. A later medical examination found evidence of neglect, concluding that Pflugrad failed to perform even basic nursing assessments while the child was in respiratory distress. The boy recovered and was released the next day.

Pflugrad told his employer, Aveanna Healthcare, that he thought the low readings were from neurological problems and did not stay low long enough to count as an emergency. Aveanna’s investigation found that she failed to provide oxygen, perform necessary tests, or properly document her care, and suspended her without pay. When the investigators sent the pulse oximeter to the manufacturer Masimo for testing, the experts found that it was working flawlessly.

The affidavit notes Pflugrad was investigated in 2024 for another medically fragile child, after investigators say he ignored multiple medical warnings that caused permanent brain damage. Prosecutors declined to file charges in that case.

He now faces trial after Lee County Judge Bruce Kyle rejected his plea deal. Prosecutors offered 364 days in jail, 48 months of probation, the revocation of her nursing license, no contact with family, a DNA sample, and court costs, according to Fort Myers CBS affiliate WINK. When Kyle asked if signing the application form meant he agreed to its terms, he replied, “No, but.”

That was enough for him to refuse. “See you tomorrow morning, at 8:30 for the trial,” said Kyle. “I won’t be able to accept the request after that.” “No, I meant yes, sir,” Pflugrad said, adding “Please” repeatedly as the judge insisted on seeing him at trial. His trial is expected to begin Tuesday morning.

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