Lawsuit Alleges Disturbing Abuse At Beaver County Care Facility

BEAVER, PA - Physically and mentally disabled patients at a Beaver County care facility were physically and emotionally abused by two former employees, according to four lawsuits filed Friday - including a 13-year-old minor allegedly filmed in a sexually explicit manner.

The lawsuits were filed against McGuire Memorial Inc. in New Brighton and the two ex-employees, Zachary Dinell and Tyler Smith.

The lawsuits allege that in summer 2018, Beaver County authorities investigated Dinell and discovered more than 150 disturbing photographs of seven McGuire Memorial residents on his phone. Investigators subsequently discovered numerous videos of Dinell and Smith abusing 10 other residents.

The lawsuits contend that McGuire Memorial knew of the abuse, or should have known of the abuse, but did not stop it.

According to the lawsuits, Dinell recorded himself committing acts such as kicking one resident in the face; rubbing a foreign substance into a resident’s eyes; slapping one resident in the face with a plastic toy and intentionally causing distress to other victims. Another video shows a resident lying in bed, partially clothed with feces on his chest, face, and hands. Dinell also recorded his co-worker, Smith, jumping on a resident while the resident was lying in bed.

The lawsuit allege that Dinnel and Smith's actions caused or contributed to the deaths of two residents, Nicholas Maravich and Brian Short.

“The repeated abuse to the residents of McGuire Memorial by the caretakers, Zachary Dinell and Tyler Smith, is another tragic instance where families trusted a facility to care for their loved ones and the facility permitted the abuse to continue,” Rob Peirce, the attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said in a statement.

Dinell also is facing criminal charges that include aggravated assault, neglect of care-dependent person, endangering the welfare of children, recklessly endangering another person, invasion of privacy, and sexual abuse of a child. Smith has been charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, and endangering the welfare of a child.

“The repeated abuse to the residents of McGuire Memorial by the caretakers, Zachary Dinell and Tyler Smith, is another tragic instance where families trusted a facility to care for their loved ones and the facility permitted the abuse to continue,” Rob Peirce, the attorney for the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said in a statement.