A UCLA medical student who allegedly stole an iPad from a dying woman in the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center will appear in court Friday morning.
University police arrested Virginia Nguyen, a 32-year-old medical student and research fellow who worked at the hospital, in late March after finding her with the device.
Family members of Natalie Packer, who died of breast cancer earlier this year at age 30, said they discovered that her iPad went missing from her hospital room after she died. Several days later, they found the device still inside the hospital by using the “Find my iPad” app.
The app also showed that the device was re-registered as “Virginia’s iPad,” Sam Heller, Packer’s uncle, told NBC4.
In a statement Thursday, UCLA said Nguyen is no longer employed at the medical center.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged Nguyen in late July with petty theft, grand theft and unlawfully controlling and deleting data. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and will appear at the Los Angeles Superior Court Airport Courthouse Friday for an early disposition hearing.
Compiled by Sam Hoff, Bruin senior staff.
Wow wtf, how low can you go? Stealing shit from a dying person. No medical license for you anymore. Kiss your career goodbye! I can’t believe a student from our school did this to somebody. What would she do to somebody when she became a physician?
You’re an idiot Virginia. You made into one of the best medical schools around and you screw up all of your accomplishments and future career for an item that costs less than $700. How can you steal an ipad from another girl similar to your age dying from breast cancer? And you wanted to be a doctor? Million dollar income career not even started due to a momentary stupidity that you’re going to regret for the rest of your life. You could have been a doctor, instead you decided to be an idiot
I guess this is what I, as an alum, had to do to fit their desired medical student profile. Never mind the quality GPA/MCAT/EC’s, I just had to be a d-bag. A dumb one at that if all she did was rename the iPad. Embarassing.
It sounds like ur very smart person with poor choices I wish u well in your future and to know life is not perfect and I am sure one day u will look back and realize u did a bad thing and must face some consequences. I hope u will still have a chance to continue with your education and fulfill your dream of becoming a promising physician that one can be.. Best of luck to you.
UPDATE: (Case # 088139)November
10, 2014 after months of court hearings, Virginia Thuy Nguyen was CONVICTED in
court on charges of stealing 30 year old cancer patient Natalie Packer’s iPad.
This while other doctors during the CODE BLUE attempted but failed to
save Natalie’s life. Judge Leslie E. Brown was so disgusted with Virginia T.
Nguyen that he refused allow her to read a statement…and asked her to get out
of his courtroom. We all hope that trading an iPad for a license to
practice medicine was worth it..UCLA dismissed Virginia sometime ago
UPDATE: (Case # 088139)November
10, 2014 after months of court hearings, Virginia Thuy Nguyen was CONVICTED in
court on charges of stealing 30 year old cancer patient Natalie Packer’s iPad.
This while other doctors during the CODE BLUE attempted but failed to
save Natalie’s life. Judge Leslie E. Brown was so disgusted with Virginia T.
Nguyen that he refused allow her to read a statement…and asked her to get out
of his courtroom. We all hope that an trading an iPad for a license to
practice medicine was worth it..UCLA dismissed Virginia sometime ago
UPDATE: (Case # 088139)November
10, 2014 after months of court hearings, Virginia Thuy Nguyen was CONVICTED of a FELONY related
to the theft of 30 year old cancer
patient Natalie Packer’s iPad during a CODE BLUE; while other doctors attempted but failed to
save Natalie’s life. Judge Leslie E. Brown was so disgusted with Virginia T.
Nguyen that he asked her to get out of his courtroom. It
is a great relief to know that after a lengthy legal process it was proven that
Virginia has no morals or remorse and will not be able to continue in her
pursuit of a medical license. UCLA has dismissed her from their
medical programs. This was not about a stolen iPad this case was about
moral turpitude.
Medicine is the wrong career for this person, she lacks basic concern for others.