This story was updated at 12:45 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2022
Police have charged three people in connection to two alleged carjacking incidents this week in Pittsburgh’s West End.
The incidents involve an attempted armed robbery of an Uber driver early Wednesday morning and a carjacking around 3 a.m. Tuesday, both of which occurred in the same area of Chartiers Avenue.
Tejaun Davis, 18, of Crafton Heights, is charged with robbery, criminal conspiracy, receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, along with a drug-related charge.
Kareem Harp, a 16-year-old from Sheraden, is also facing charges of robbery, criminal conspiracy and simple assault. Jabbar Thompson, 19, of Pittsburgh, also faces several charges including robbery, theft and criminal mischief.
“We believe all these cases, obviously, are connected,” said Pittsburgh police Sgt. Tom Huerbin at a press conference Thursday, saying authorities identified some of the individuals because they were using Facebook to obtain the rides.
In the Tuesday case, police said four masked individuals held another ride-share driver at gunpoint before robbing the driver of cash and stealing their car. The driver was unharmed, and the car was found hours later.
Police said an officer was on patrol in the 1200 block of Chartiers Avenue around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday when a woman told the officer that three men tried to rob her at gunpoint.
The woman later told police that she was working as an Uber driver and had picked up a male wearing a Steelers jersey — who court documents later identified as Mr. Harp — at West Penn Hospital for a ride to an address in the 1200 block of Chartiers Avenue.
When they arrived, the teenager asked the driver to turn onto Nittany Street, where she parked the vehicle.
The driver told the police that Mr. Harp, who was sitting in the right passenger seat, suddenly took the car keys out of the ignition and grabbed her purse. The victim got out of the car, grabbed onto her purse and tussled with the teenager; she was dragged on the pavement in the process, according to the criminal complaint.
Two other men appeared from a yard on Chartiers Avenue. The victim said one of them, later identified by police as Mr. Davis, had shoulder-length dreadlocks and was wearing black jeans and a hoodie. He pointed a gun at the victim before taking her purse, according to the criminal complaint.
Mr. Davis dropped the purse and ran, along with the other two, when they saw a police car pull up at a nearby intersection.
Police chased the three on foot and arrested Mr. Davis and Mr. Harp.
The victim told police that the third person was wearing a black hoodie and dark jeans but that she couldn't see his face because his hood was in the way, according to the criminal complaint.
A stolen firearm was recovered near the scene, police said.
The victim later identified Mr. Harp as her Uber passenger from West Penn Hospital and Mr. Davis as the man with the dreadlocks, according to the complaint.
Both were taken to the Allegheny County Jail.
The juvenile was denied bail and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 10, according to court documents.
Staff writer Mick Stinelli contributed. Hannah Wyman: hwyman@post-gazette.com
Correction, Aug. 3, 2022: A previous version of this article misstated the neighborhood where Wednesday’s attempted robbery occurred.
First Published: August 4, 2022, 1:30 a.m.
Updated: August 4, 2022, 1:03 p.m.
