Ex-Greensburg hospital employee accused of locking special needs co-worker in freezer

A former Westmoreland Hospital employee is accused of locking a female co-worker who has special needs in a walk-in freezer when they were employed in the dietary department at Westmoreland Hospital.

Greensburg police said Nick V. Casper, 25, of South Greensburg admitted in an email to his supervisor that he would keep the employee in the freezer for three to five minutes.

He was charged Tuesday with false imprisonment and harassment, both misdemeanors.

“Westmoreland Hospital is aware of the ongoing inquiries regarding a recent incident involving employees at the hospital. The employee in question has been terminated,” Independence Health Chief Marketing Officer Tom Chakurda said in a statement. “We are unable to provide further comment as the matter is under investigation.”

The situation was reported to police Sept. 5, according to court papers. The employee told authorities she had been having issues with Casper for the previous six months.

When she would go into the walk-in freezer, Casper would close the door, turn off the lights and hold it closed, according to court papers. On one occasion, he used a padlock to secure the door and left for what the employee estimated was 15 minutes, police said.

The charges for Casper were sent by summons. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records and could not be reached. A Nov. 14 preliminary hearing is set.

This is the second time this week that former employees of the Greensburg hospital were charged by police. City police on Tuesday charged Peter Castellano, 36, of Pittsburgh and Melissa Tompkins, 36, of Baldwin with disclosing intercepted communications, criminal use of a communication facility, invasion of privacy and harassment.

The former nurses are accused of taking and sharing photos and making recordings of patients without their permission, including one instance where, police say, a suspect superimposed co-workers’ faces on a photo of a naked patient, court papers show.

Castellano and Tompkins denied the allegations. They were fired after an employee reported their alleged actions, the health system said in a statement.