Former KDKA-TV news anchor Bruce Pompeani is under investigation by Hopewell police after a beauty salon manager complained in November that he repeatedly harassed her sexually and threatened her life.

Pompeani, 42, morning and noon anchor at Channel 2, was fired on Friday. Christopher Pike, general manager of KDKA, refused to comment on the dismissal, saying it was a confidential personnel matter.

Pompeani, who lives in Hopewell, has not been charged. He did not return repeated phone calls seeking comment.

In a news release yesterday, the office of Hopewell Police Chief Gene Ungarean said the "department received a complaint of alleged offenses and is conducting an investigation" involving Pompeani.

According to a police report, the investigation began Nov. 22. That was when Lori Cello, a district manager for Head Hunters, a chain of salons, phoned police to say Pompeani had for 2 1/2 years repeatedly harassed Kimberly Castiglione, 23, the manager of a beauty and tanning salon at 2284 Brodhead Road.

According to the police report, Cello asked for an officer to be present that day when Pompeani arrived for a scheduled appointment. The two women met Pompeani on the sidewalk to tell him he was no longer allowed to patronize the business. Assistant Chief Gary Tranelli was in the parking lot observing the meeting, which lasted five to seven minutes. Pompeani departed without incident.

The report said Castiglione told police in November that Pompeani had, in recent months, escalated his visits to the salon to almost weekly and made sexual advances and lewd comments toward her. She told police she was intimidated and afraid to report his actions because he had threatened her life. Eventually she told Cello, who notified the company's corporate office and subsequently police.

First Published: January 11, 2005, 5:00 a.m.