Tri-City physical therapist arrested for sexual assault at assisted living center

A physical therapist is accused of inappropriately touching a 65-year-old woman while he was visiting a Pasco assisted-living facility to check on a patient.

LuRon Anderson, 45, admitted intentionally rubbing the chest of the woman after inviting himself into the woman’s room, court documents show.

The alleged admission came after Anderson contacted law enforcement, after learning they had visited his home. He then agreed to an interview.

The Pasco man appeared earlier this week before a Superior Court judge. He was released from the Franklin County jail Tuesday afternoon after posting $3,500 bail.

Anderson was held on suspicion of two counts of indecent liberties, along with one count of fourth-degree assault.

Washington Department of Health records show Anderson was certified as an emergency medical responder in 1999. That certification expired in 2002.

He got his physical therapist license in 2005, and it was last renewed in March 2019. It is due to expire in March.

The state health website does not show any enforcement action against Anderson.

Visiting 1 patient in Pasco facility

A news release from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office says he is an in-home physical therapist, but also provides his services to residents in Tri-Cities nursing homes.

He was visiting the one patient he has in Pasco’s Rosetta Assisted Living on Jan. 3 when he allegedly confronted the victim.

That woman is not Anderson’s patient. She immediately reported his behavior to facility staff, saying he had done “inappropriate things” to her, according to court documents.

Staff called 911 in under 10 minutes.

Anderson was gone by the time a deputy arrived, but the victim had been able to point him out to staff as he was leaving so he could be identified, documents said.

The facility visitor log showed Anderson was there from 11 to 11:35 a.m.

Made sexually suggestive comment

The victim’s roommate reported Anderson opened the door to their room and proceeded to walk inside and shut the door behind him. He asked if the roommate needed help in the bathroom, but she declined and went into the bathroom by herself.

Once the roommate shut the bathroom door, Anderson walked around the corner to find the victim in a recliner.

He started petting a puppy on the victim’s lap, then made a sexually suggestive comment in reference to her chest, court documents said.

The victim reported that he brushed her chest two to three times with the back of his hand and asked her to remove her top, but she refused.

When Anderson left the room, she pushed her “call button” and alerted facility staff to what just happened, documents said.

The victim did not know Anderson’s name, but said she had seen him around the facility and provided a detailed description.

The woman appeared visibly upset and several times had to fight back tears, said documents.

Anderson called the sheriff’s office about eight hours later and agreed to stop by for an interview, documents said. He was arrested that night.

This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 2:51 PM.