BELLEFONTE -- Testimony ended yesterday in the trial of Charles R. Mezdie, charged with assault and reckless endangerment stemming from last summer's investigation into alleged abuse at the State College Manor Nursing Home.

Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar and Defense Attorney Chris Pentz are scheduled to deliver closing arguments at 8:30 a.m. today in the Centre County Courthouse.

In his opening argument, Gricar told the jury that the case is not "cut and dried" because Medzie, 51, was reputed to be a good worker before being suspended and subsequently fired last June after investigations by State College Bureau of Police Services uncovered alleged abuse.

Medzie, of Allport, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault, a felony offense, nine counts of simple assault and two counts of recklessly endangering another person. Mezdie allegedly abused five elderly patients in the now-closed nursing home, located at 450 Waupelani Drive.

The prosecution's case was based on the testimony of four co-workers of Mezdie, who was a nurse's aide at the home.

Susan Woods, 26, testified that she saw Mezdie put a rag that he allegedly used to clean up a patient's fecal matter into the mouth of the patient and said, "If you like shit so much, here."

In another incident Woods said Medzie slapped both ears of the patient repeatedly and later said to another nurse's aide, "I'll bet that bastard's ears are ringing tonight."

Visibly upset throughout her testimony, Woods lost her composure several times, saying that the alleged slapping incident continues to give her nightmares.

On cross-examination, Pentz said the incident was "so traumatic you didn't even report it."

Woods responded, "I will never forgive myself for not reporting (the abuse)."

Another witness, former nurse's aide Jauna Richards, testified that she saw Mezdie feed feces to the same patient and flick the testicles of another patient with his fingers. Richards said she did not report the incidents until much later because she felt intimidated. She also said she believed nothing was ever done about the alleged abuse.

The prosecution's witnesses agreed that Mezdie was a good worker in that he always offered to help other nurse's aides whenever he had spare time.

Pentz attempted to demonstrate in the defense that Mezdie was the target of resentment by the workers testifying against him. The defense based its case on the testimony of family members of the alleged victims, other co-workers and Mezdie's supervisor.

On the witness stand, Mezdie denied ever abusing patients and said he tried to report other abuse to administrators but that nothing was ever done about it.

Petnz said Mezdie was resented when he reported a practical joke played on him by Woods, nurse's aide Linda Johnson and another aide. The three were reprimanded when they put a condom on Mezdie's thermos.

Mezdie testified that Woods said, "Every dog has its day, Charlie," after reporting the condom incident.

Charge Nurse Darla Thomas said she heard Johnson, who earlier testified against Mezdie, yell, "Paybacks are hell, Mezdie."

Several relatives of the alleged victims testified on behalf of Mezdie, describing him as well-liked by the patients.

A daughter of one of the patients said Mezdie "was exceptionally good to my father." The relatives all said they would have known if the patients were abused.