Arrest Warrant Issued for Denny’s Worker Over Alleged Exposure; Manager Says Repeated

An arrest warrant has been issued for Zachary (Ryan) Hiles, a now-former employee of the Denny’s on Lebanon Church Road in West Mifflin, after court papers and investigators say he exposed himself and touched himself in view of three female customers who entered the restaurant on Sunday. Investigators say the conduct prompted the manager to escort Hiles from the building and fire him, and Hiles now faces charges that include indecent exposure and harassment.

Police and court papers describe the sequence as beginning just before 5:30 a.m., when three women sat down to eat at the West Mifflin Denny’s. According to the complaint, Hiles made comments to the women, then took a seat in a chair in front of the restaurant restroom where he could clearly see the diners; investigators say he then began touching himself while staring at the customers.

One of the women fled the dining area and ran to her car because she was "so traumatized," investigators reported. A customer who witnessed or learned about the episode reacted by saying, "I’ll never eat there again. I promise you that." That line has appeared in multiple accounts of the incident and underscores local outrage after the early-morning encounter.

The on-site manager escorted Hiles from the Lebanon Church Road Denny’s and told officers that the employee had a prior pattern of inappropriate behavior. As the manager told police, "this was not the first time Hiles made inappropriate comments or done inappropriate things," and the manager said the employee had already been fired following the incident, according to investigators’ accounts.

West Mifflin police applied for the arrest warrant after reviewing the case and court papers. An investigating officer said, "after close consideration of Hiles’ actions, complete disregard for bystanders, and other potential victims at the Denny’s, it’s appropriate to apply for an arrest warrant." The warrant lists indecent exposure and harassment among the charges investigators intend to file.

Reports indicate Hiles left the restaurant in an unknown vehicle before officers arrived and has not been taken into custody as of the latest accounts. One local report states Hiles is "awaiting arraignment" on the multiple charges, but no arraignment date, warrant number, or booking details have been released in the materials cited by investigators.

The case remains active with West Mifflin investigators pursuing the arrest warrant and prosecutors expected to file charges for indecent exposure and harassment. For workers and managers in the restaurant industry, the episode at the Lebanon Church Road Denny’s highlights the legal consequences that can follow alleged lewd conduct toward customers and the role on-site supervisors play in responding to complaints.