Police arrest two in California armed robberies
CALIFORNIA – Two Pittsburgh men, one a California University of Pennsylvania student, were arrested this week for their alleged involvement in a string of armed robberies that only netted $1. After a month-long investigation, police finally made arrests in the three armed robberies that happened on the Cal U campus and in the surrounding area. In the incidents, three victims, two of whom were identified as Cal U students, said they were approached by a black man with a gun and told to give him their money.
Both the Cal U police department and California Borough police filed charges against the men.
According to California Borough Police Chief Steve Silbaugh, Cal U student Nathan E. Brown, 18, of Pittsburgh was arrested on campus Wednesday.
Cal U Police Chief Jim Hansen said Cal U police arrested Tarue Nelson, 19, also of Pittsburgh, in Allegheny Prison, where he was taken for unrelated charges.
Silbaugh said that borough police have charged both Brown and Nelson with criminal attempt to commit robbery, theft and carrying firearms without a license.
Hansen said Cal U police have charged Nelson with armed robbery, carrying firearms without a license and recklessly endangering another person. He said they charged Brown with criminal conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery.
Both were arraigned before District Justice William Pelkey, who set bond at $25,000 for each. According to Hansen, Brown was placed in Washington County Jail and Nelson was returned to Allegheny Jail.
Hansen said Brown commuted to Cal U from Pittsburgh and does not have a campus or California address.
Police initially thought it wouldn’t be long before they made an arrest in the three attempted armed robberies that took place in the Student Association Inc. parking lot on California University’s campus, in the Jefferson at California apartments parking lot and inside Papa John’s Pizza on Jan. 14 and Jan. 15.
One victim took a food order from the suspect at Papa John’s pizza after he recognized the gun as a pellet gun. According to police reports, the suspect actually allowed the victim to hold the gun, after the victim told him he knew the gun was a pellet gun.
According to the victim, the suspect then said was just joking and ordered a pizza then fled the scene in a vehicle and never returned.
California police investigated two of those three incidents, while California University police investigated the incident that occurred on campus.
Hansen said all three victims identified Nelson in a photo line-up.
Initially, police thought their investigation had come up short when victims failed to identify a suspect in a photo line-up that did not include Nelson’s photo.
“We feel doggone certain about the identification (of Nelson) because the first line-up did not include his picture and the victims did not identify anyone. When we included Nelson’s photo (after receiving information implicating him to the crime), they picked him out of the line-up,” Hansen said.
Hansen said Nelson’s alleged involvement became evident after police linked him to a vehicle accident that happened before the robberies. Hansen said the vehicle in the accident fit descriptions given by the victims.
He said police later found that Nelson had a criminal history in Penn Hills dating back to April 2002, which included carjacking.
Silbaugh said Brown also had similar charges against him involving a pellet gun in the borough and both Brown and Nelson are facing charges for attempted robberies in Allegheny County in which authorities alleged they worked together.
Silbaugh said that it is believed that Nelson and Brown did use a pellet gun. He said a pellet gun was recovered hidden near a campus dormitory. He said the fact that a pellet gun was used will have no bearing on the charges because the men presented the pellet gun as a real firearm.
Both Silbaugh and Hansen are very pleased with the investigation and the collaboration of both departments.
“I’m extremely pleased with the effort. I had several officers involved and they finally got the pieces to the puzzle together. We also had good cooperation from the borough police. I feel good about it,” Hansen said.