Woman faked ailment to get ambulance ride

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Police: Jeannette, PA, woman faked ailment to get ambulance ride, assaulted workers at Greensburg hospital

A Jeannette woman faked a medical problem over the weekend in order to get an ambulance ride to the hospital where her husband was being treated, Greensburg police allege.

But after Alysia A. Edwards, 27, arrived at Excela Health Westmoreland hospital in Greensburg and learned her husband already had been discharged, she became angry and assaulted a nurse and a responding police officer, police wrote in court documents.

Edwards was arraigned on two counts of aggravated assault and single counts of insurance fraud, public drunkenness and assault by a prisoner. District Judge Helen Kistler on Sunday ordered her held in the county prison after she failed to post $25,000 bond.

Patrolman Regina McAtee wrote in an affidavit that she was went to the hospital about 1:30 p.m. Saturday for a reported disturbance.

“When (Edwards) arrived at the hospital, it was discovered that Alysia only wanted transported to the hospital to see her husband, who was admitted earlier. When Alysia found out her husband was released, she began having a fit on the stretcher in the middle of the emergency room,” McAtee wrote.

When a nurse told ambulance medics that Edwards wanted to be released, Edwards tried to assault the nurse, McAtee alleged. Police said the nurse secured Edwards until hospital security officers arrived.

When McAtee arrived and placed Edwards in the patrol car, Edwards began kicking the partition window and screaming, and she spit on the police officer, McAtee wrote.

McAtee said the nurse wasn't injured but wanted a criminal complaint filed against Edwards.

Court documents did not disclose what ailment Edwards claimed she had or why her husband was taken to the hospital earlier Saturday.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb. 1 before District Judge Chris Flannigan in Greensburg.