Armed robberies in Pittsburgh's East End could be connected, police say

Pittsburgh police believe a spate of armed robberies carried out last week appear to be connected.

The three crimes occurred over 36 hours on June 7 and June 8 and targeted a restaurant, a fast-food chain and a clothing shop in three different neighborhoods in Pittsburgh’s East End. No arrests have been made.

“All three are believed to be connected, but detectives are still going through all of the evidence and video before making that definitive determination,” Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Cara Cruz told TribLive on Tuesday.

A Wendy’s employee was taking out the trash shortly after 2:45 a.m. Friday when two men emerged from nearby bushes and attempted to storm into the fast-food restaurant at 5422 Baum Blvd. in Bloomfield, Pittsburgh police said.

One of the men appeared to be carrying an AR-15-type gun, the employee told police. Neither of the two men got inside.

On the next night, at about 1 a.m. Saturday, a man wearing a light-red hoodie and “a tattered face mask” entered Layne’s Chicken Fingers with a gun and a bulletproof vest, Pittsburgh police said. The restaurant is located at 3621 Forbes Ave. in Oakland.

The man demanded cash, then fled the area with an undisclosed amount of money, police said. Pitt police assisted city officers.

As 4:45 p.m. Saturday — about 16 hours after the Oakland armed robbery — an unknown man walked into a DTLR apparel store in the 6100 block of East Liberty’s Penn Avenue, armed with a BB gun, Pittsburgh police said.

He demanded money and fled the store on foot with “an undisclosed amount of cash,” police said. No shots were fired and nobody was injured. The suspect left behind a gun.

The man in the East Liberty robbery was wearing a pink hoodie, police said.

All three cases remained under investigation on Tuesday. Anyone with information about the incidents should call Pittsburgh police at 412-422-6520.