Suburban Ambulance EMT Arrested for Sexual Assault
On December 8th, 2016, the Stroud Area Regional Police Department received information that an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) working for Suburban Ambulance had inappropriate contact with a person being medically transported. A preliminary investigation was conducted and the investigation was then turned over to Stroud Area Regional Detective Susan Charles. Detective Charles then conducted a lengthy investigation, and during the investigation, two additional victims were discovered. As a result of said investigation, the following was learned.
The victims were being transported via ambulance both locally and out of the area via Suburban Ambulance on three separate dates ranging from July 2016 to January 2017. All three victims are male, have special needs, and range in age from older juveniles to adult. Once the patients/victims were loaded into the ambulance, EMT Matthew Menist was in the back of the ambulance while another Suburban Ambulance employee drove. During transport the victims reported that Menist would turn the light off in the back of the ambulance and then begin touching the victims and stating he was checking for injuries. Mentis would then sexually assault the victim.
Matthew Menist, 31 years old from Stroudsburg, was arrested and arraigned on January 18th 2017 for the first incident that occurred in 2016. Menist was arraigned before Magisterial District Justice Michael Muth and was incarcerated at the Monroe County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5000 bail. The first set of charges include:
Unlawful Contact with a Minor- Felony 3
Corruption of a Minor- Felony 3
Indecent Assault- Misdemeanor 1
Indecent Assault- Misdemeanor 2
The two remaining sets of charges (all three incidents are being charged/filed separately) filed on Menist include the following charges:
Unlawful Contact with a Minor- Felony 3
Corruption of a Minor- Felony 3
Indecent Assault- Misdemeanor 1 (2 counts)
Indecent Assault- Misdemeanor 2 (2 counts)
Anyone with information in reference to these incidents, please contact Stroud Area Regional Police Detective Susan Charles at 570-421-6800, extension 1038.
