Octavia Robinson faces abuse and assault charges after a 2025 incident at Gracedale Nursing Home that helped trigger a broader safety investigation.
NAZARETH, Pa. — A registered nurse accused of assaulting an elderly, nonverbal resident while claiming she was trying to remove demons is scheduled for trial in October, as a newly released Northampton County grand jury report details broader safety failures at the county-run Gracedale Nursing Home.
Octavia Robinson, 44, of Morristown, New Jersey, was charged after the June 23, 2025, incident with abuse of a care-dependent person, simple assault and harassment, according to court records and published reports. The incident later became a focus of a wider investigation into resident safety, staffing, security and emergency response at Gracedale. Northampton County officials publicly addressed the grand jury’s findings on Sept. 10 and said corrective measures were underway.
Investigators allege Robinson entered the resident’s room during the early morning hours and began interfering with her mouth while saying the woman had demons inside her. The grand jury report says Robinson also used clothing or towels during the incident and struck the resident on the back. The descriptions are allegations contained in investigative and court records and have not been proven at trial.
Two elderly residents sharing the room repeatedly tried to summon help, according to the grand jury findings. Reports based on the document say one roommate made an initial 911 call about 2:53 a.m., followed by additional calls at about 3:05 a.m. and 3:18 a.m. A supervising nurse made another call around 3:22 a.m. Officers did not enter the room until about 3:27 a.m., more than 30 minutes after the first request for help.
When Upper Nazareth Township officers reached the room, investigators said they found Robinson standing over the resident with her fingers in the woman’s mouth. Police intervened and took Robinson into custody after an alleged struggle. She was then taken to a hospital for an involuntary emergency evaluation. Criminal charges were filed following her release, according to reporting based on police and court records.
The resident, whose name has not been publicly released in the reports reviewed, had serious health needs and was described as nonverbal. Later reporting on the grand jury findings said she subsequently died, but the panel did not attribute her death to the alleged assault. Authorities have therefore not alleged that Robinson caused the resident’s death.
The investigation expanded well beyond Robinson’s case. Northampton County District Attorney Stephen Baratta said the incident and the delayed response helped prompt a wider examination of conditions at Gracedale. The grand jury identified concerns involving staffing shortages, reliance on outside agency nurses, security practices, resident supervision, sanitation and failures to provide some prescribed care.
According to Lehigh Valley Public Media, Medicare inspectors issued Gracedale three citations for relatively minor deficiencies in 2023 and two in 2024. The number rose to 14 in 2025, including findings the grand jury characterized as serious. Issues examined included resident-on-resident assaults, residents leaving the facility without adequate supervision, medication and other care concerns, and food sanitation problems.
The grand jury also focused on staffing. Contract workers accounted for roughly three-quarters of the nursing home’s staff during part of the period examined, according to the report. Officials said the reliance on agency employees, along with difficulties meeting staffing ratios, contributed to problems with continuity, accountability and oversight. The investigation did not assign criminal responsibility for the broader institutional problems to a particular county or Gracedale official.
Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski said the county has begun a series of changes intended to improve conditions. The administration has appointed Thomas Carson as director of the Continuum of Care, plans to reduce reliance on outside staffing agencies and is reviewing training, resident screening, quality assurance, security and emergency-response procedures. County officials also said they are considering long-term modernization of the Gracedale campus while first focusing on stabilizing current operations.
Robinson is scheduled to stand trial in October, according to Lehigh Valley Public Media. The charges remain allegations unless proven in court. County officials, meanwhile, said they will continue reviewing the grand jury’s recommendations and provide further updates on corrective actions involving resident safety, staffing and management at Gracedale.
Author note: Last updated September 16, 2026.