Four incidents with guns occur in Oakland

The days of wandering down the street without a care in the world — if they ever existed… The days of wandering down the street without a care in the world — if they ever existed — are gone for many Oakland residents.

There have been several robberies throughout the South Oakland area in the past few weeks. From a bookstore armed robbery to a shooting on Dawson Street, crime alerts are high for Oakland businesses and residents.

According to the Crime Alert released by Pitt police, two men brandished a gun at two people and took one victim’s purse on Jan. 22. The incident occurred at about 1:45 a.m. on the 300 block of Atwood Street near the India Garden restaurant. The police are looking for two black men, about 6-feet tall and in their late 20s, in connection with the crime.

Just five days later, on Jan. 27, an armed robbery occurred at the University of Pittsburgh Health Book Store, on the 3500 block of Forbes Avenue. The robbery occurred at about 3:10 p.m.

Witnesses described the perpetrator as a medium-build black man in his mid to late 50s, about 5-feet-8-inches or 5-feet-9-inches tall. He was sporting a Band-aid on his right cheek and wearing a dark, flat, golf-style hat. He reportedly had a square jaw, short, black, curly hair, small teeth and a slight overbite, and was carrying a long black revolver. Police consider him armed and dangerous.

According to Pitt Chief of Police Tim Delaney, witnesses reported that the man was standing outside the building for more than 45 minutes.

Later that same night, at about 10:45 p.m., an armed robbery took place on Dawson Street, near Oakland Square. According to the police report, “the victim was approached from behind and shot in the leg with a small-caliber weapon.”

The perpetrator was allegedly one of several people traveling in an automobile. The automobile stopped, and the people inside said something to the victim, according to Delaney. Uncertain what the people in the car said said, the victim hesitated. The perpetrators apparently thought he was refusing to cooperate, so they shot him, Delaney said.

The perpetrator, without taking money or other items from the victim, fled the scene in a light-colored Sedan. The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Possibly in connection with the incident at Pitt’s Health Book Store, another robbery occurred at Footer’s Dry Cleaners ‘ Tailors Inc. on Forbes Avenue, at about 3:15 p.m. on Jan. 28.

The perpetrator was described as a black man in his mid to late 50s, with a medium build and height of 5’8″ or 5’9.”

“The descriptions of the suspects to both robberies [the book store and Footer’s Cleaners] sound very similar,” Delaney said. “We’re always trying to find another tip or lead that will put us where we need to be [in catching criminals].”

Pitt police are working in conjunction with Zone 4 city police and the Oakland Business Improvement District in hopes of tracking down their suspects or finding other leads to the crimes.

“We try to stay as heavy as we can with our robbery tips,” Delaney said.

Students are advised to always travel with a friend, use SafeRider (formerly Van Call) when it’s available, and not walk alone or carry around a lot of cash. If confronted by a robber, students should not try to resist, and they should report the crime immediately.

Delaney recommended that students “stick together [and] use Van Call, just to be safe.” The SafeRider number is (412) 648-2255.

Anyone with information about any of these incidents should contact the Pitt police at (412) 624-2121 or city police at 911.