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Three of the five nursing home employees accused of repeatedly abusing a 94-year-old woman will stand trial, another is awaiting a preliminary hearing, and charges were dropped against the fifth employee arrested in the crime, according to MSNBC.

Last fall, Thelma Bryant was a resident at Kane Glen Hazel nursing home in Pittsburgh when nursing home employees alerted officials that they had seen fellow employees on several occasions hit Bryant in the head, strike her in the chest with an elbow, throw oranges at her, stomp her feet and cuss at her. An investigation led to the arrests and firing of five employees.

Danielle Taylor, Shelly Keene and Karen Perry were charged with aggravated assault. Shalaya Hatten was charged with simple assault and neglect of a care-dependent person. And Mary Ann Bower was charged with summary harassment. Bower is the licensed practical nurse in charge of the nursing aides. Other nursing home staff members told officials they had seen Bower throw objects at Bryant and pour water over her head.

This week, charges were withdrawn against Taylor after the district attorney’s office said there wasn’t enough evidence to build a case against her. The court heard testimony from four other nursing home employees who witnessed the abuse those charged with the crime inflicted on Bryant. As a result Keene, Hatten and Perry will stand trail. Bower, the nursing supervisor, is still awaiting her preliminary hearing.

There is no explanation why Bryant was singled out by her abusers. Allegheny County executive Dan Onorato released a statement about the incident saying he was “incensed by the alleged actions by these five individuals…. We will absolutely not tolerate any level of disrespect, neglect or mistreatment of Kane Center residents.”

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