Inmate accused in assault at Westmoreland lockup
A Westmoreland County Prison inmate is accused by police of assaulting another inmate last month, according to court papers.
David Lee Jellison, 27, of Hostetter, was arraigned Friday on aggravated and simple assault charges. His bail was set at $50,000.
County detectives said Jellison is seen on jail surveillance video at 3:14 p.m. Nov. 18 leaving his cell on B unit and going into another inmate’s cell. Jellison slid the door nearly closed and then left the cell about two minutes later.
The other inmate is seen on the video exiting his cell and going to the corrections officer’s desk. He was taken to Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital for treatment of numerous facial fractures, according to court papers. He told investigators that Jellison kicked and kneed him in the face.
A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 20. Jellison did not have an attorney listed in online court records.
He has been at the Hempfield lockup since June when he failed to post $1,000 bail after being arrested for fleeing the scene of an crash on Route 30 near Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield, according to court records.
Jellison was charged in August in connection with 24-year-old Holly Hudson’s 2017 drug overdose death in Unity. Bail in that case is set at $50,000. Trials in both cases are tentatively set for next year.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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