A Riverside County nurse has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a patient while they were unconscious, according to authorities. 

Deputies with the Riverside Sheriff's Special Victims Unit received reports of a hospital employee who "was having inappropriate contact with an unconscious patient," said a press release from the department. 

"During the course of the investigation, the suspect was identified as Lauro Gonzales Jr., a 40-year-old resident of Lake Elsinore," the release said. "Investigators learned that Gonzales was employed as a nurse by multiple hospitals within Riverside County."

Gonzales was arrested on Tuesday when investigators conducted a traffic stop on I-15 near Temescal Canyon Road, deputies said. He was booked for sexual penetration of an unconscious person after they served a search warrant at his home, where they said they collected additional evidence. 

Due to the nature of the crime, investigators believe that there may be additional victims. Anyone who knows more or believes they are a victim is asked to contact RSO at (951) 955-1718 or (951) 776-1099.