Pitt police searching for robbery suspect in Oakland

Patrick Varine | Saturday, September 30, 2023 10:37 a.m.

Courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh Police

Pitt and city police are seeking information about this man, suspected of robbing two people early Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, on Oakland Avenue.

University of Pittsburgh and city police are seeking information about a man who robbed two people early Friday in the city’s Oakland neighborhood.

Campus police posted a crime alert to their X (formerly Twitter) account at 1:50 a.m. Friday alerting students to a robbery that occurred on the 300 block of Oakland Avenue.

The two victims told police a man approached them saying he had a gun, then forced them to discard their phones before ordering them to an ATM to withdraw money, according to a news alert.

The suspect, described by police as a Black man in his 30s or 40s wearing eyeglasses, a black beanie, beige trench coat and dark pants, fled south on Oakland Avenue.

Police recovered surveillance footage of the man but said they did not see the gun referenced by witnesses.

Anyone with information should call Pitt police at 412-624-2121 (reference report No. 23-02951) or city police at 412-422-6250 (reference report No. 23-154679).