Westmoreland County prosecutors contend a New Kensington brother and sister conspired to assault an autistic teenager two years ago during a neighborhood Easter egg hunt.

Jurors will begin hearing evidence Thursday in the trial of Stacey Oneal Jr., 36, and his younger sister, Krystae Oneal, 33, who are charged in connection with what police said was a violent assault on April 9, 2023. The alleged assault was against a 17-year-old boy as retaliation for an earlier confrontation with the teen’s mother, prosecutors say.

“Krystae conspired with her brother and another man to assault a 17-year-old boy,” Assistant District Attorney Katie Ranker Ellwood said in her opening statement to jurors Wednesday afternoon. “They (Stacey Oneal and another man) were stomping on his head several times, taking turns.”

Both Oneals are charged with aggravated assault, conspiracy, simple assault and reckless endangerment. Krystae Oneal is also charged with related counts of simple assault and trespassing in connection with an earlier altercation.

Ellwood told jurors the chain of events that led to the teen’s beating started when Krystae Oneal charged into a Seventh Street Extension home to physically confront the boy’s mother after making claims that he had stolen objects from her house.

Several hours later, Krystae Oneal directed her brother and another man to attack the boy as he participated in an Easter egg hunt, prosecutors contend. The alleged assault was recorded on video and is expected to be played for jurors later in the trial. Ellwood said the video depicts the boy as he is knocked to the ground and two men stomp on his head and punch him in the face.

Krystae Oneal is being prosecuted as an accomplice to the boy’s beating, Ellwood said.

Defense attorney Jackie Shaw said prosecutors cannot prove Krystae Oneal was involved with the events seen in the video.

“You will not have any evidence my client discussed … to go beat him up,” Shaw said.

Andrew Skala, the attorney for Stacey Oneal, told jurors during his opening statement that prosecutors cannot prove the teen was seriously injured during the incident.

“The victim immediately popped up,” Skala said. “He did go to the hospital but was immediately discharged. No doctors will testify during the trial.”

Deron Hinton, 32, of Greensburg, the third man charged along with the Oneals, pleaded guilty in April to aggravated assault and conspiracy counts and was sentenced to serve 5 to 10 years in prison.

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