Crews search for missing Pittsburgh woman in Brownsville
BROWNSVILLE – An abandoned vehicle prompted police to search for a missing Pittsburgh woman on Thursday morning that continued into the afternoon. Brownsville police, state police and the Fayette County sheriff’s department conducted the missing person investigation in an attempt to locate 53-year-old Beatrice J. Walker.
Foul play is not suspected, police said.
Fayette County 911 dispatchers said they received a call from Norfolk Southern Railroad reporting the abandoned car, which was left near the railroad tracks that run parallel to Albany Road in Brownsville.
Boats scoured the Monongahela River as the sheriff’s search and rescue team searched the shorelines and surrounding area trying to locate Walker.
Brownsville police officer Josh Mrosko said that Walker is an employee at Western Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh. He described her as a light-complected, black female, and said she is about 5 feet 10 inches tall. Mrosko also said that Walker has short hair and she is a known smoker.
Although Fayette County 911 reported that some type of note was seen inside Walker’s vehicle, Mrosko said police could not release any details about it at this point in the investigation.
“This is a missing person investigation,” said Mrosko. “(We are not treating this) as a murder or suicide investigation.”
Mrosko said the search team’s investigation would be ongoing and he could not estimate how long it would continue.
Carolyn Fitzwilliam, a representative for Western Penn Hospital, said that the police had contacted them regarding the investigation, but she said she could not comment until there was more information. Walker failed to report for work on Thursday.
“We are concerned for Ms. Walker,” said Fitzwilliam. “We were contacted by the police and we will assist them in any way possible.”
Anyone with information about Walker is asked to contact police.