Suspect in Monessen shootout is in custody
A Monessen man who was wanted in a shootout in his hometown was jailed Tuesday in a robbery case in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh police charged James Steven Womack, 25, and two others from Monessen, with robbery and conspiracy over accusations they stole money and a cellphone from a 19-year-old man at a gasoline station in Greenfield, police said.
Womack, along with Arron Jackson, 21, face charges they walked up to the victim’s car about 2 a.m. while it was parked at a pump at a Speedway and he was seated inside with the window down and they “ordered him to get out or get shot,” police allege.
The victim got out of his vehicle, at which time the suspects allegedly went through his pockets and stole the phone and an undisclosed amount of money. The victim never saw a gun even though he was told the men had one.
Womack and Jackson then returned to a silver Dodge driven by Bradleigh Aldrich, 21.
A short time later, West Homestead police pulled over the car in the 800 block of Ravine Street in Munhall. Police said the stolen money and phone were in the vehicle, that they were returned to the victim.
The three suspects were later sent to Allegheny County jail on $25,000 bonds set by District Judge Armand Martin, online court records show.
Womack has yet to be arraigned on attempted homicide and related charges that were filed last month. A second suspect in that case, Delaney Dionte Huggins, 29, also of Monessen, remained at large Wednesday.
Monessen police accuse the men of firing 18 shots at each other early July 23 outside of the Okay Lodge in the 500 block of 10th Street. Both suspects got away that morning after telling police they were victims in the case.
Huggins, who was shot in the hip, was accused of firing an AK-47 at Womack, who took cover behind a car and fired back with a small caliber handgun. Police said it appeared Womack was grazed in the neck by a bullet.
Huggins was identified as a suspect in the case through a cellphone he dropped at the scene. A motive in the shootout has yet to be revealed.