Police in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, have arrested five employees from one of Allegheny County's Kane Regional Centers on a variety of charges including neglect, physical assault and harassment of a 94-year-old resident Thelma Bryant, at that nursing home.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that all five all employees of Kane Regional Hospital which is in the Glen Hazel section of Pittsburgh and is one of four county-run nursing homes in Allegheny County, were fired .

The five accused are Danielle Taylor, 46, of the North Side area, Shelly Keene, 35, of West Mifflin, Karen Perry, 46, of Homestead Shalaya Hatten, 30, of Pittsburgh, and Mary Ann Bower, 57, of Munhall.

Charges of aggravated assault and neglect of a care dependent person were filed against Danielle Taylor, Shelly Keene, and Karen Perry, while Shalaya Hatten was charged with simple assault and neglect of a care dependent person and Mary Ann Bower was charged with summary harassment. The police criminal compliant was not immediately available in Bower's case.

County police said the investigation began in November after co-workers reported to seeing the elderly female resident undergoing physical and mental abuse. They claim she was struck by Taylor in the head and hit her in the eye with a fist, then cursed at her and threw an orange at her.

Two people told the police that Perry struck the victim in the chest on at least four separate occasions, and threw oranges at the victim's face. According to a criminal complaint, Hatten was observed by a witness cursing at the victim and striking her with her elbow in the chest.

Three people claim to have witnessed Keene abusing the patient and one witness told police that Keene struck the victim in the forehead with her hand. Another witness reported seeing Keene stomp down hard on the victim's feet a number of times. A third person told police they heard the victim say to Keene, "Stop hitting me."

County Executive Dan Onorato said in a statement, "The care and safety of the residents of our four is of paramount importance. I am incensed by the alleged actions of these five individuals. Upon the initial report of possible illegal activity, we immediately suspended the five individuals without pay, and the county police launched a full investigation. As soon as they were arrested and charged, we immediately terminated their employment. We will absolutely not tolerate any level of disrespect, neglect or mistreatment of Kane Center residents."

Kane Executive Director Dennis Biondo said all the accused staff members have been fired and the case was an isolated incident with no lasting bad effects for the resident involved."

Preliminary hearings for all of the suspects, except Bower, are scheduled for Jan. 5. A date for Bower's hearing has not been set.