Pitt police, dean issue guidance after home invasion

Following an armed robbery of four students’ home earlier this week, Pitt police have issued a crime alert and Pitt’s dean of students has issued a statement.

According to interim Vice Provost and Dean of Students Kenyon Bonner, Pitt asks the Pitt police to issue a crime alert to all students when a serious crime happens on campus. In addition, students affected by crime can call the office of the dean of students for assistance. Bonner said the dean’s office can offer students emotional support, temporary housing, emergency clothing, food and textbooks.

“We will help students in a variety of ways depending on their needs,” Bonner said in an email. “Any student who needs assistance should not hesitate to let us know so that we can help.”

In the crime alert, Pitt police alerted students that on Sept. 22, at approximately 10:40 p.m. on McKee Place, an unidentified African-American individual entered a student’s home armed with a black semi-automatic handgun.

According to the victim, Joe Roesinger, a junior computer engineering major at Pitt, the man demanded he give him “all his money and valuables.” In all, the man stole headphones, a watch, laptop and a 19” flat screen television from the home.

Both police and Roesinger described the man as an African-American male in his 20s, approximately 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 140 pounds. The man was wearing a white bandana covering his face, a grey Nike sweatshirt with blue sleeves, light blue jeans and white and blue Nike shoes.

Pittsburgh police are investigating the robbery and invasion but said Thursday they won’t release any information.

Pitt’s Student Government Board president Nasreen Harun offered her sympathies on behalf of SGB.

SGB has a Crisis Relief Fund in place for students, though Harun said the fund won’t apply to the home invasion. Generally, she said, the fund covers students who have lost possessions in an explosion or house fire.

“Unfortunately, the Crisis Relief Fund is catered to help students who have lost possessions ‘due to a [major]’ housing disaster,” Harun said.