Unity woman released to house arrest as assault trial awaits

A Unity woman will be released from jail Thursday morning to await trials on charges that she assaulted a hospital nurse and, in a separate case, allegations she intentionally rammed a Latrobe high school student’s vehicle in 2019.

Susan Barkley, 43, has been in jail without bond since her arrest in June 2020.

After a hearing Wednesday, Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani modified Barkley’s bond, setting it at $100,000 but unsecured, to allow her to await trial on house arrest without posting any money.

“House arrest needs to be set up before her release,” the judge said.

Barkley will be released into the custody of a pretrial mental health services team and, as a condition of her release, is required to follow all prescribed treatment. She is prohibited from drinking alcohol or taking drugs while on house arrest.

After Barkley was confined in Torrance State Hospital for a time, the judge this year ruled Barkley was competent to stand trial. Torrance is a state hospital for people with severe and persistent mental illness, including those who have been charged with a crime.

Westmoreland County prosecutors opposed her release.

Barkley initially was charged with 17 counts, including aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, simple assault and harassment, in connection with an October 2019 incident. Police said she twice rammed her SUV into a car driven by student en route to Latrobe Area High School, then continued to chase it until it reached school grounds.

Months later, in June 2020, police said, while a patient at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital’s behavioral health unit, Barkley attacked a nurse and attempted to escape. Authorities said Barkley repeatedly stabbed the nurse in the head and face with a pen, punched and kicked her and dragged her into an elevator and continued the attack.

Defense attorneys previously argued a hazing incident that involved Barkley’s child led to the deterioration of her mental condition.

Barkley’s cases are tentatively scheduled for trial in August.