The ex-wife of a former Pittsburgh Penguin died in the Allegheny County Jail last night, according to sources in the lockup and confirmed by the inmate's family.
The cause and manner of death of Alison C. Taglianetti, 56, were not immediately available Saturday morning. Her divorce from Peter A. Taglianetti was finalized in 2003, and they have five children together.
She was a personal trainer. He was a rugged defenseman with the Penguins' Stanley Cup championship teams of 1991-92.
Ms. Taglianetti, whose neighborhood of residence is not specified in online criminal court records, was jailed April 13, based on charges issued March 9, of burglary, theft and receiving stolen property. Her preliminary hearing was April 18, and the charges were held for court.
She remained incarcerated on $5,000 bond at 10 percent, meaning that she could have been released pending trial for $500.
She was the subject of restraining orders taken out by on March 1 by Corey Taglianetti, her daughter, and Louis Taglianetti, both of Larimer. The orders indicated that Alison Taglianetti was "in rehab." No one answered the door at their home early Saturday afternoon.
Allegheny County issued a statement indicating that around 9:34 p.m. on Friday, jail medical personnel responded after “a female inmate hanging in her cell was discovered by corrections officers during rounds. Medical and correctional officers performed CPR until paramedics arrived and took over. Their lifesaving measures were unsuccessful” and the woman, who was not named in the release, was declared dead at 10:14 p.m.
Allegheny County Police are investigating.
The jail has periodically had problems with inmate suicides, including three last year. Last year, Warden Orlando Harper outlined several steps he has taken to prevent suicides, including:
- Multiple medical screenings when inmates enter the facility, including questions pertaining to mental health and suicide.
- Placement of posters in the jail with messages like: "Suicide thoughts are real. Don't keep them to yourself."
- Instruction to corrections officers to always carry cut-down tools, used to free someone who is hanging, when conducting rounds.
- A regulation stating that no inmate could be housed alone while in an intake pod.
Ms. Taglianetti's LinkedIn page indicated that she was a fitness trainer with UPMC, whose areas of practice included pilates, yoga and massage therapy. The page also indicated that she had a bachelor of science degree in exercise physiology from the University of Vermont.
In 2013, Ms. Taglianetti filed for bankruptcy, listing residences in Bedford and Bridgeville. She indicated that she had closed her business, Fitness Performance Inc., and was at that point working as an assistant spa director in Bedford.
Rich Lord: rlord@post-gazette.com
First Published: April 28, 2018, 4:01 p.m.