BOARDMAN — A nurse at a local home health care agency is in jail and without a job after a coworker reported her for hitting a patient.

The Boardman police report states officers responded to a home in the 1800 block of Lealand Avenue early Friday afternoon, where they met with a supervisor for Accessible Home Services. The Liberty Township-based business provides in-home care and transportation for adults with special needs.

The supervisor told police that a trainee called to report that she had seen Mykaylia Reynolds, the duty nurse assigned to the home, slap a patient after the patient spat out her medication. The report states this is something the patient does regularly.

The patient has developmental disabilities, is nonverbal and requires 24-hour care.

The trainee stated Reynolds hit the patient across the face with an open hand.

The supervisor told police that Reynolds has been taken off the schedule and is no longer an employee of the company.

About 6:15 p.m. Tuesday, Reynolds was booked into the Mahoning County jail, charged with assault, a fourth-degree felony in this case.

Ohio law classifies it as a fourth-degree felony for nurses or other employees of care facilities to knowingly cause physical harm to a patient through physical contact.

The crime could be escalated to a third-degree felony if the accused has a prior similar offense on their record. They also can face disciplinary action from the Ohio Board of Nursing, up to and including termination of their license to practice.

Reynolds made an initial appearance Tuesday evening before Mahoning County Boardman Court Judge Joseph Houser, who imposed a $5,000 bond and ordered her to have no contact with the victim.

Houser set a preliminary hearing for Sept. 30.

A search of Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana County court records did not show Reynolds has any prior related offenses.