ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Shoppers in Ross Township are on guard after what police say happened at the Ross Towne Center Tuesday night.
“You don’t hear about a lot of stuff like this in this area. It’s generally a safe place to live, and that’s kind of alarming to be honest,” said Linda Macmurdo.
A woman had just gotten off work after 9 p.m. and went to get in her car when she saw a strange man inside.
“That’s the scariest part actually, like I couldn’t imagine getting in my car and seeing someone in my car already,” said Megan Reimer
The woman told police that she asked the stranger why he was in her car, and he said, “I’m not,” while getting out. When he started to get on his bike to leave, police say the victim confronted him, and things got violent.
“She has her purse with her,” Brian Kohlhepp, Ross Township deputy chief of police, said. “He grabs her purse off of her and kind of pushes her, jumps on his bike and tries to take off. She actually chases after him and is able to retrieve her purse, but he knocks her pretty hard to the ground. “
The man then got onto McKnight Road and rode his bike into the woods, where he reportedly hid for more than two hours before police used drones and a K9 to find Travis Patricca. When Patricca was arrested, police found numerous key fobs, as well as a professional programming device to unlock car doors.
“Those are restricted, and generally those companies only sell to locksmiths so I’m not sure where he was able to come across one of these devices,” Kohlhepp explained.
“It’s supposed to be your vehicle; like how are we getting these and they’re able to open and access other people’s vehicles? That is scary,” Macmurdo added.
Police say Patricca has a McCandless mailing address, but they believe he’s been living in the woods.
Kohlepp said, “We found some cooking supplies and some tent supplies and things like that with him.”
The victim was cut and bruised, but she’s going to be OK. Patricca is in the Allegheny County Jail. He was denied bond.
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