MONROEVILLE, Pa. — A man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly robbed a Monroeville business Tuesday night.
The Monroeville police chief said he believes the robber in this case, Pressley Brown, may have escaped if it wasn’t for the time he spent allegedly zip-tying three employees.
Pressley is accused of an armed robbery that took place Tuesday night at Harbor Freight Tools in Monroeville.
Investigators said Brown may have upwards of 15 aliases. They’re also referring to him as “John Doe” until they can develop a positive ID.
Police said Brown allegedly demanded cash from an employee at the store while waving a gun. He then allegedly used zip-ties on three workers.
Arrest papers showed that Brown’s alleged get away was short-lived. Police said a car he stole from one of the employees spun out of control and crashed right in front of a tire store about 1,000 feet from Harbor Freight Tools.
Police said Brown was injured in the crash.
The armed robbery came on the heels of a massive fight inside the nearby Monroeville Mall. The scene captured on smartphones on Friday involved thousands of teens, according to police. Shoppers were well aware of the brawl.
“I said, wow, it made national news,” said Waliyyuddin Muhammad.
With the armed robbery and a mob of teenagers, people in the area applauded police for their quick action in both cases.
As for Brown, police said once he is finger-printed, they expect to have a cleaer picture of who exactly he is.
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