Leechburg man accused of assaulting girl at Westmoreland Mall

A 16-year-old girl from the Greensburg area told state police a man “grabbed her by the throat, picked her up and threw her to the floor” at Westmoreland Mall last month after she replied to an off-hand comment her assailant and two juvenile companions made about her appearance.

State police charged Tyler D. Zidek, 22, of Leechburg, with disorderly conduct, harassment, simple assault and strangulation in connection with the Dec. 27 assault at the Hempfield shopping complex. Two male juveniles, although identified by police and interviewed, have not been charged, police said.

The juveniles are teenagers from Westmoreland County who know Zidek, Trooper Steve Limani said. They did not assault the teen, so it was decided to only charge Zidek, he said.

State Trooper Nicholas Parker reported bring dispatched to the mall shortly after the 6:45 p.m. assault as Mutual Aid Ambulance paramedics treated the girl. She received treatment at the scene for arm, elbow and head pain, court documents state.

The teen said she was walking on the lower level when three males passed her and one commented on her appearance, Parker reported in court documents. She told police she did not know any of them.

“(She) related that she replied, ‘excuse me’, and (Zidek) walked toward her with his hand in a fist, grabbed her by the throat, picked her up and threw her to the floor,” Parker wrote in court documents filed Wednesday before Youngwood District Judge Tony Bompiani.

The girl said the trio were “laughing and smiling” before “they ran away,” Parker reported.

Parker said a witness corroborated the girl’s recollection. The witness also took a photograph of the injured teen laying on the floor with the three suspects fleeing and provided it to troopers, court records said.

Parker said he obtained a photograph of the suspects from a store security camera and it was released to the news media.

According to Limani, police received 40 calls after releasing the photograph. Parker said within a few hours, three of the tips positively identified all three suspects, including Zidek, who they said is six-feet tall and weighs 250 pounds.

On Dec. 28, after the photos were released, Zidek also called state police to report he was the man wearing the “red shirt” in the photograph. When Zidek was interviewed at the state police barracks in Greensburg, Parker said he claimed “the victim attempted to punch him but fell to the ground.”

“Zidek denied throwing the victim on the ground,” Parker wrote.

There is “absolutely no evidence the victim acted aggressively toward the suspect or either of his companions,” Limani said.

Zidek did not return a message seeking comment. The complaint was mailed. A preliminary hearing is scheduled March 3.