Arrest Warrant Issued For Accused Shoplifters Who Hit Stroller
ROSS TOWNSHIP (KDKA) -- Police in Ross Township say they have identified and obtained arrest warrants for two suspects who allegedly shoplifted from a store and then hit a stroller with their car as they were trying to make their getaway.
Ross Township police say Ann Brie Kelly, 24, of the Hill District was the driver of the vehicle.
Ross Township Detective Brian Ross said "we got a number of tips from from the public after the surveillance video was broadcast Monday night, and a witness took down the getaway car's license plate number."
The second suspect is a juvenile and her name has not been released.
Police say it also appears Kelly and her young partner may have been involved in a retail theft near the Monroeville Mall hours before the Kohl's shoplifting. Det. Kohlhepp said "we also received calls from a K-Mart security officer who recognized the women after a K-Mart shoplifting earlier in the day on Monday."
Melissa Cypher says she was just leaving the Kohl's along McKnight Road with her two young children, including a newborn, when the getaway car started to back up into her stroller.
It was a terrifying few moments for her, but luckily, her children were not hurt.
Cypher says when the vehicle started backing up, she began yelling into the car, telling the driver to stop because her two young kids were in the stroller.
"I was more angry than anything in that moment," she says. "More angry that they kept on going than stopping and continuing to back up."
Just after 5 p.m. on Monday, Ross Township Police say two women in their 20s shoplifted clothing from the store and ran out as a store security officer chased after them.
"She was coming after them, telling them she caught them on camera and got their information and that the police were on their way," said Cypher.
"The whole time, the security officer is banging on the window, telling them to stop, because they are hitting the baby stroller," said Ross Township Police Detective Brian Kohlhepp.
Cypher says she was cornered with nowhere to go with her 6-week-old baby and 3-year-old son in the double stroller.
The older model Ford actually had to back up twice to get out of the spot, also bumping into the female security officer.
"I couldn't believe that she actually did make contact with the stroller and didn't stop, didn't show any hesitation. Just kept on going," Cypher said. "Just thankful that we're okay and it wasn't worse and that my kids were in the stroller because the stroller kept them safe."
Ross Township Police say the two women will be facing charges of retail theft, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of children.
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