Five caretakers accused of abusing or harassing a 94-year-old Alzheimer's patient at the Kane Regional Center in Glen Hazel worked together on the overnight shift, and their activities apparently escaped notice for a time because a supervisor was among their ranks.

Mary Ann Bower, 57, of Munhall, who has been charged with a summary count of harassment, worked as a licensed practical nurse overseeing the four nursing assistants charged in the case with more serious crimes.

"The problem here was the supervisor was involved," Dennis R. Biondo, executive director of the John J. Kane Regional Centers, said yesterday during a news conference.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato strongly denounced the women, calling their alleged actions "personally disgusting."

"These five individuals tainted the entire industry," Mr. Onorato said. "We're going to make sure we make an example of anybody found guilty of this type of activity."

He said he would seek to block any county benefits owed to the women, including pensions, if they are found guilty of the criminal charges filed against them. But Mr. Onorato acknowledged he did not know what powers he had over their benefits.

Officials at the news conference -- including Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt and Mary Stevens, administrator of the Glen Hazel facility -- shed no light on why victim Thelma Bryant was targeted for verbal and physical abuse.

That was one of several areas in which details were lacking. County officials could not say whether any of the accused acted as a ringleader, how severe the injuries were to Ms. Bryant, how many incidents took place, or even over exactly how long a span she was abused.

Although two affidavits mentioned witnesses who recalled incidents of abuse by two different suspects taking place five to six months earlier, Superintendent Moffatt said he believed there was only one witness who recalled a single event five months ago.

"We have no indication this was an ongoing thing over six months," Superintendent Moffatt said.

Another source of confusion was the status of the women with the county. Mr. Onorato's office said Danielle Taylor, Shalaya Hatten, Shelly Keene and Karen Perry were all terminated via certified letter dated Nov. 21 and produced the documentation. All four were nursing assistants making around $30,000 a year.

Megan Dardanell, a spokeswoman for Mr. Onorato, said she believes the final suspect, Ms. Bower, resigned before she could be fired

However, records from the county controller's office show the first four women on "indefinite suspension" and Ms. Bower being terminated Nov. 1.

Mr. Onorato emphasized numerous times during the news conference that officials had taken swift action once an employee came forward Oct. 30 to report misdeeds to the nurse in charge of the facility on the overnight shift.

That unidentified person, who worked in a different area of the center, noticed misconduct and informed a supervisor. An affidavit for Ms. Taylor said a witness saw her hit Ms. Bryant in the head Oct. 29.

Mr. Onorato said the employees were initially suspended without pay, fired and then charged. Subsequent investigation made county officials comfortable that the five women were the only suspects and Ms. Bryant was the sole victim.

"[From] everything we're seeing, this is isolated," Mr. Onorato said. "It was isolated to this particular shift, to this unit, to this group."

Ms. Bryant, who uses a wheelchair, was living on the second floor of the Kane center in Glen Hazel in a 60-bed unit.

Working together on the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift were Ms. Bower, a 21-year veteran, and Ms. Taylor, 46, of the North Side, who started at Glen Hazel in 1992.

The remaining three -- Ms. Keene, 35, of West Mifflin, Ms. Perry, 46, of Homestead and Ms. Hatten, 30, of the Hill District -- had between three and seven years at the facility.

Mr. Biondo described the aide who came forward as witnessing a "taunting type of behavior" and gave an example of "tossing a Kleenex box."

The affidavits in the case described Ms. Bryant being cursed at, told to "shut up," elbowed. stomped on, punched, pelted with oranges in the face and doused with lotion......

Since the incidents came to light, Ms. Bryant has moved to a different unit. "Today, she's fine," Mr. Biondo said.