Reserve woman whose punch led to mom's death pleads guilty, gets time served

A Reserve Township woman Wednesday pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for delivering the bone-breaking punch that caused her 73-year-old mother’s death — and a judge let her go home with a punishment of probation and time already served in jail.

Krystal Slepski, 43, punched Patricia Kachinko in the chest during a June 2 argument at Kachinko’s Troy Hill home, according to a criminal complaint.

Authorities described Kachinko as a thin woman who suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and relied on an oxygen tank to breathe.

First responders transported Kachinko, who suffered from labored breathing after the attack, to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh for evaluation.

She died 22 days later.

An autopsy noted Kachinko’s sternum was fractured between her fourth and fifth ribs, police said.

Slepski this week negotiated a guilty plea to involuntary manslaughter, a downgrade from the criminal homicide charge Pittsburgh police filed against her in July. A robbery charge had been withdrawn at district court.

Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Simquita R. Bridges sentenced Slepski to 4 to 8 months in prison — or “time served,” court records show.

Bridges also sentenced Slepski to probation for four years, court records show.

Slepski was taken to jail June 6 and held without bail on a simple assault charge.

A month later, the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Kachinko’s death a homicide. The cause of death was deemed respiratory complications caused by blunt force trauma to the chest.

Pittsburgh police then added homicide and robbery charges.

Kachinko’s family Thursday didn’t return phone calls seeking comment on the sentence. The Allegheny County Office of the Public Defender, which represented Slepski, declined comment.

Pittsburgh police were first dispatched to Kachinko’s home at 1804 Ley St. around 6:15 p.m. June 2, according to a criminal complaint.

Slepski was arguing with her boyfriend, the complaint said. Kachinko called police after Slepski punched the boyfriend in the face.

After police left without pressing charges, Slepski “accused Kachinko of calling the police on her and began harassing her,” the complaint said.

During their argument, a third person — identified in court papers only as Witness 1 — called Kachinko to check in on her.

Kachinko told the witness to call 911, according to the complaint.

“There was, like, no calming her down,” Kachinko added, the complaint said.

Police said Slepski then grabbed Kachinko’s phone and hung up. The witness tried unsuccessfully to call back numerous times. Then the witness called 911.

The argument between Kachinko and her daughter soon turned physical, the complaint said. At one point, Slepski punched her mother, with a closed fist, in the chest.

Kachinko and her husband of 43 years, Albert, grew up on Pittsburgh’s North Side and raised their two daughters, Slepski and Kelly Balint, there, according to Balint. The family moved to Troy Hill about 25 years ago.