Trooper suspended, charged with exposing himself at station

A state trooper is suspended without pay after he was accused of exposing himself to a woman.

A Friday news release says Trooper Eric Zona, of North Huntingdon Township, committed the act at an annex building at the barracks in Greensburg, about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Trooper Adam Reed, the spokesman at state police headquarters, said internal protocols for how alleged misconduct is investigated likely delayed the investigation, as did the forensic examination of cellphones, which the alleged victim and the trooper used in this instance. Police said they also found the "Shhhhh!" text on the woman's phone.

Zona didn't immediately return a message left on his cellphone. That message and others that had been deleted from Zona's phone were recovered by a forensics investigator after police got a search warrant, according to the complaint. He was charged by summons and is free while awaiting a preliminary hearing in front of District Judge Anthony Bompiani.