In a deeply unsettling incident that ended without physical harm but shook public confidence, 36-year-old Adam Joseph Wedig allegedly slipped past staff security at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on December 27, 2021—or possibly December 28, depending on sources—and entered a secure area under the guise of being a baby’s father. Once inside, he proceeded to bottle-feed an infant and even changed the diaper, despite having no connection to the child or its family (Law & Crime, Davenport Journal, KCCI).
MercyOne staff immediately flagged the man as suspicious, and police were called. Surveillance stills helped authorities identify and arrest Wedig, who admitted he wasn’t the baby’s father. Thankfully, no harm came to the infant (KCCI, KGAN). Des Moines police charged him with two counts of criminal trespassing, and he was detained on a bond exceeding $1,000 (Front Page Detectives, Khak, KGAN).
In June 2022, a magistrate judge found Wedig guilty of misdemeanor trespassing and ordered fines and court costs amounting to approximately $736 (KGAN). Meanwhile, the newborn’s parents filed a lawsuit not only against Wedig but also MercyOne, alleging negligence and inadequate security measures at the hospital’s NICU (KCCI, KTVO, Kdat).
MercyOne expressed that the incident was “extremely troubling,” and pledged to enhance security across its pediatric units by reinforcing staff training, tightening visitor protocols, improving ID checks, and beefing up personnel in the NICU (Law & Crime, Davenport Journal).
This bizarre and distressing case raises serious questions about hospital vulnerability and underscores the critical need to protect the most vulnerable patients—premature newborns—from unauthorized access and potential harm.
