Teen accused in Northwestern attack to undergo mental health eval

Sept. 12--SUNBURY -- A certification hearing for one of the four female juveniles involved in the assault and robbery of a staff member at Northwestern Academy was continued Friday morning when President Judge William H. Wiest granted a request she undergo a mental health assessment.

The 16-year-old female from Chester, Delaware County, who was returned to Delaware County Detention Center, is charged by Coal Township Patrolman Matthew Hashuga with felonies of escape, aggravated assault, robbery and criminal conspiracy to commit robbery, and misdemeanors of simple assault and theft in connection with July 30 incidents.

Following a sidebar with the teen's attorney, James Best, of Sunbury, and Assistant District Attorney Julia Skinner, Wiest granted Best's request for a continuance until his client undergoes a mental health exam. Wiest ordered Best to report back to the court by Sept. 21 with the name of the doctor who will perform the assessment.

No new date was established for the certification hearing, which determines if a juvenile is tried as an adult or juvenile.

A 15-year-old girl from Tioga Borough, Tioga County, who is charged with the same offenses, is scheduled for a certification hearing Sept. 22. She remains in a juvenile residential facility near Latrobe.

A 17-year-old female from Reading, Bucks County, was certified as an adult during a hearing late last month and is scheduled to be sentenced by Wiest in November.

A 14-year-old girl from Harrisburg, Dauphin County, is scheduled for a certification hearing at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The 17-year-old and 14-year-old, who are charged with the same offenses except escape as the other two teens, are being housed at Central Counties Youth Center, Bellefonte.

Police reported Angel Wright, 25, of Coal Township, was working inside Cottage A of the Building Bridges program at Northwestern Academy at about 12:15 a.m. when she was attacked by the 14-year-old girl.

The three other juveniles joined the teen in stealing Wright's purse and locking her in a closet, police said. Wright's car keys were in her purse and the teens fled in her 2007 Mazda 3.

The girls ended up in Upper Darby near West Philadelphia after crashing the car and fleeing the scene, police said. They were all eventually captured.

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