Monroeville police searching for man accused of robbery and kidnapping
MONROEVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) — Police are asking the public for information that could help them find a man who they say robbed a mini-mart shortly after he kidnapped an employee.
Monroeville police hope surveillance video, which was exclusively obtained by KDKA-TV on Friday, will help identify the wanted man.
Police said the man robbed the Alstan Mini Mart on Monroeville Boulevard around 11:15 pm on May 22. But the suspect did not have a difficult time getting inside the store. Detectives said about an hour prior to the robbery, the suspect followed a mini-mart employee as he drove home, robbed him at gunpoint, bound him with zip ties and put him in a closet.
"That's scary, you don't want to hear that, being so close to home," Adam Davies said.
Police said the victim is a U.S. citizen, a Pakistani national.
Police were told the suspect took the victim's phone, car and work keys. They learned the suspect used one of the keys to enter the business and even had the code to disable the alarm.
"To actually go to the house after the employee and then do this, shocked," Deborah Camp said.
In the surveillance video, the suspect can be seen unlocking a cabinet to steal cash. He then unraveled a roll of Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off tickets before grabbing two boxes containing at least 12 strips of tickets.
A detective told KDKA-TV that police are tracking the stolen lottery tickets, which have been canceled.
Police said the man had clothing and features that stood out, including a broad nose, thick eyebrows and an apparent wrinkle on his face.
"I hope they catch him, and I hope they help out. You don't want anyone to be scared, especially the people who work here," Davies said.
Anyone with information can anonymously contact Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-4PA-TIPS (8477) or online here.
Callers could be eligible for a cash reward if the information leads to an arrest. The reward is now up to $1,500.