Police working together on fast-food robberies
Washington police sent information including surveillance video to Allegheny County police detectives as they investigate several strong-arm robberies at fast-food restaurants in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
Chief Robert Wilson said Friday his department was contacted and asked to share information, including video of the strong-arm robbery at McDonald’s restaurant on Jefferson Avenue at West Wylie Avenue. Employees at the restaurant were robbed at gunpoint in the early morning hours of June 2.
Three employees were cleaning in the back of the restaurant when the one closest to the register heard someone enter the building. Thinking it was a customer, she turned around only to be confronted by a gunman. He asked it she was the manager and then forced her to the back of the restaurant.
The manager also was confronted by one of the robbers, forced at gunpoint into the office and ordered to open the safe.
The manager told police one of the robbers held a gun to the back of his head. Once the safe was open, a robber grabbed the cash. The second robber held the other employees at gunpoint outside the office. When the safe was opened, that robber reportedly leaned into the office and sprayed the manager in the face with pepper spray before they both fled on foot.
That has been the same scenario in at least six robberies at fast-food restaurants, including two in Pittsburgh and one each in Bellevue, Penn Hills, Bethel Park and one over the July Fourth weekend at McDonald’s in Shaler Township. Employees at that restaurant were forced to open a safe.
Allegheny police Lt. Thomas Ianathione said they are considering the pair serial robbers.
“We are working with all the different agencies on this,” Ianathione said Friday. “The robbers are two black men dressed all in black, including black hooded shirts and surgical gloves. It appears they wore surgical masks or ski masks.”
Anyone with information on the robberies is asked to call Allegheny County police at 412-473-3000 or Washington police at 724-223-4226.