Baby Given Near-Fatal Dose of Lidocaine : 2 Charges Added in Drug-Injection Case

The district attorney’s office Wednesday filed two additional charges against Randy Powers, the Encino hospital technician who allegedly injected a near-fatal dose of the heart drug lidocaine into a Van Nuys infant in September.

At a Superior Court arraignment Wednesday, Powers, 26, was charged with attempted murder and child endangerment. He previously was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful practice of medicine.

Van Nuys Judge Richard G. Kolostian set March 21 for pretrial motions.

If convicted on all counts, Powers faces a maximum sentence of 12 years, 8 months in state prison, Deputy Dist. Atty. Michelle Rosenblatt said.

Concentrated Dose

At a preliminary hearing last month, Northridge Hospital Medical Center personnel testified that the infant, Sarah Mathews, then 11 months old, had been injected with a high and concentrated dose of lidocaine.

Police Detective P. J. Quartararo testified at the hearing that Powers admitted injecting the drug into the infant after she developed seizures while under the care of Powers’ mother, who operates a day-care center in Encino.

Rosenblatt said Powers was charged with the additional counts because of “a combination of medical evidence and a statement he made to police following the incident.”

Police say Powers told them he injected the girl after she was bitten by an insect.

The girl was released from the hospital Oct. 8. Her father says she is still recovering.

Powers is free on $20,000 bail.

The district attorney’s office said Powers is under investigation in connection with the deaths of several elderly patients at Queen of Angels Medical Center and Sherman Oaks Community Hospital, where he had been employed. Those deaths originally were classified as due to natural causes.