Paramedic in Pa. Charged With Sexual Assault

Sept. 06--A paramedic who last week had rape charges dropped related to a mentally challenged woman inside an ambulance in Allegheny County was charged Friday with sexually assaulting a woman in Hempfield.

State police accused Parker A. Foster Jr., 51, of Greensburg, of two counts of indecent assault for allegedly groping a co-worker at a hotel on May 21.

State police Trooper Christopher Cole said the woman alleges Foster pushed her up against a door in the laundry room of the Quality Inn, off Route 30 East in Hempfield, inappropriately groped her, and "made vulgar sexual comments toward her and attempted to put his hands down her pants."

The victim alleges she had been trying to avoid Foster at work because of repeated "problems with (Foster) making vulgar sexual comments toward her," Cole wrote in the affidavit.

Foster no longer works at the motel.

In an interview with Cole, Foster initially denied any physical contact with the woman, according to the affidavit.

"As the interview continued, (Foster) reached into his pocket and stated, 'I'm going to set it all on the table for you guys' ... and he then placed a few coins onto the table in front of him in a symbolic gesture," Cole wrote.

Cole said Foster then claimed he had a consensual sexual relationship with the woman.

"His responses were contradicting and inconsistent," Cole wrote.

Foster told the trooper he had been fired from Mutual Aid EMS and Medic 10, based in Mt. Pleasant, "for sexual harassment" incidents.

In addition to working for ambulance services over the years, Foster was at one time a deputy assistant fire chief in Greensburg. Attempts to reach him for comment Tuesday were not successful.

On Thursday, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office dropped its rape case against Foster after the alleged victim provided prosecutors with new evidence.

District Attorney's Office spokesman Mike Manko said that in a pre-trial interview, the woman Foster was accused of assaulting provided additional evidence that made it impossible for the prosecution to sustain its burden of proof.

Foster was scheduled for a non-jury trial on charges of raping a person with a mental disability last January. Verona Police had said Foster assaulted the woman after taking her out for ice cream and again the next day in the back of an ambulance he drove for Guardian Angel Ambulance Service, where he worked until the complaint was filed.

The woman told police in Verona that she told Foster she wanted to see the inside of an ambulance. While inside, Foster changed a bandage on her arm and checked her blood pressure while he kissed and groped her, she told police.

Foster has not yet been arraigned on the new complaints filed before Hempfield District Judge Anthony Bompiani.

Paul Peirce is a reporter for the Tribune-Review. He can be reached at 724-850-2860 or ppeirce@tribweb.com

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