Sheriff's Office: Wanted Woman Brings Loaded Gun Into Courthouse In Her Purse
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A woman who was arrested early Tuesday morning at the Pittsburgh Municipal Courts Building had a gun in her purse, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office.
The sheriff's office says 36-year-old Tiffany Towns of Pittsburgh's North Side came to the courthouse around 2:30 a.m. in order to obtain a Protection from Abuse Order.
While waiting for the PFA, officials say they discovered a warrant for Towns' arrest on charges of retail theft from November 2018. After being taken into custody, authorities say Towns told sheriff's deputies that she was carrying a loaded handgun in her purse.
The deputies searched her and found a Glock 19 with a fully loaded magazine. Investigators say courthouse security told them the gun was not visible when it passed through the X-ray scanner when she entered the building.
However, the sheriff's department says when deputies checked out the x-ray machine, the weapon did show up. So more than likely, this will be a case of human error. The building guards at the courthouse work for a private company under contract to the City of Pittsburgh.
Towns was initially brought to Allegheny County Jail following the incident. She has since been arraigned on the firearms violation charge and released from custody. She goes back to court next week.
