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Pittsburgh restaurant owner accused of sex assault appears in court

PITTSBURGH — A Pittsburgh restaurant owner accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman after breaking into her home in the city's South Side will face a judge Tuesday.

Adnan Pehlivan was in court for a preliminary hearing.

>>RELATED STORY: Restaurant owner accused of sexually assaulting sleeping woman faces judge

Police said surveillance video captured him following the woman in his car on the South Side.

Pehlivan is the owner of the restaurant Istanbul Sofra in Regent Square.

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The victim was very composed as she testified in municipal court about the alleged sexual assault. Pehlivan was standing only a few feet away from the victim as she testified.

The young woman told the judge that on the night of May 14, she and two friends went out, had drinks, and ended up at a South Side bar where she said they had "polite conversation" with Pehlivan.

He was sitting on a bar stool and bought them four to five rounds of shots.

Traffic camera video was presented in court and shows the three young women walking home on East Carson Street.

>>RELATED STORY: DA: Restaurant owner downloaded videos of similar attacks before woman's assault

Prosecutors said it shows Pehlivan stalking the women -- driving past them, then pulling over, parking his car and shutting it off.

The victim testified that when she got to her South Side home, she went to bed and was jolted awake by a man sexually assaulting her.

She screamed “Who are you? What are you doing?” She said, “I pulled his hair and was able to see his face.”

She said she identified him immediately and said he was the man in the bar -- Pehlivan.