Police: Duo drives to West Deer nursing home, beats up woman and steals her phone

A Hampton woman is accused of driving a man and two girls to a West Deer nursing home and beating up an employee who was on her break, according to a criminal complaint.

West Deer police said the victim called the police station Nov. 17 to report an assault that occurred at her place of employment, Concordia at Rebecca Residence, on Nov. 16.

The victim was on a break in the employee parking area in the rear of the building when a man she knew, Raymond Silak, 41, and Cassie Halliwell, 40, drove up in an SUV, according to the complaint. Two girls also were with them, the complaint said.

The woman said Silak and the two girls got out of the SUV, and Silak ripped her purse off of her shoulder and dumped the contents onto the ground.

One of the girls grabbed a makeup bag off the ground and struck the victim in the face with it, the complaint said.

The victim told police she threw a perfume bottle at the SUV. Halliwell, who had been driving, then got out of the vehicle and assaulted her, the complaint said.

The woman said Halliwell grabbed her hair, punched her in the face three times and pushed her to the ground.

The suspects drove off with the woman’s cellphone and her work identification badge, the complaint said.

On Nov. 19, the victim went to the police station to give a statement. She told police she went to UPMC Passavant hospital in McCandless for treatment after the assault. She suffered a concussion when she was pushed to the ground, according to the complaint.

Police said they reviewed nursing home surveillance footage that corroborated the victim’s account, according to the complaint.

Silak and Halliwell went to the police station Nov. 22 to provide statements.

Silak told police he went to the nursing home to get his car keys, and the victim told him to get the keys from her purse. He said he dumped the contents of the purse onto the ground to retrieve them, according to the complaint.

Halliwell said she drove Silak to the nursing home to get his house keys, and stayed in the SUV while the others got out to get them. She told police she got out of the SUV when the victim threw something at it.

Halliwell said the victim tried to hit her, so she hit the victim a couple of times and pushed her to the ground. Halliwell then got back in the SUV and drove off, the complaint said.

The victim told police she didn’t message or call Silak to come to her place of employment to pick up keys. She told police she didn’t have any keys in her purse for Silak to take.

Halliwell and Silak face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, corruption of minors, harassment and trespassing. Halliwell faces an additional charge of simple assault, and Silak an additional charge of theft.

Charges against Halliwell were filed Dec. 7. She remained at large Saturday afternoon.

Silak’s charges were filed Dec. 3. He was released on nonmonetary bond. His attorney, Lee M. Rothman, didn’t respond to a message seeking comment.

The two girls have been charged as minors, police said. One faces charges of theft, harassment and trespassing. The other faces charges of simple assault, theft and harassment, according to police.