PITTSBURGH — Students and parents are questioning security at an Oakland apartment building after police say a man followed a resident into his apartment and assaulted him.
The reported attack happened Friday night inside the HERE Pittsburgh apartment building along Forbes Avenue.
Pitt student Pablo Aizenman said he learned about the alleged attack through his roommate.
He told Channel 11 he lives down the hall from the apartment where it reportedly happened.
“It’s scary, and especially in a place with a lot of students and people and young adults, it’s not a place where you want stuff like that to be happening,” Aizenman said.
According to a criminal complaint, Chaz Corlew Jr. followed a man into an elevator, down a hallway and into his apartment without permission.
Once inside, police say Corlew made a sexual comment, grabbed the victim’s groin and placed him in a chokehold.
The victim was able to escape and call police.
Officers later arrested Corlew.
Police said they found several keys and access cards in his possession, including a master key capable of opening any door in the building.
“I live down the hall from the room where it happened, and it’s definitely a concern because I heard that the person had a master key,” Aizenman said.
It remains unclear how Corlew allegedly obtained the master key.
A University of Pittsburgh spokesperson emphasized that the apartment building is an off-campus property unaffiliated with the university.
“The student in this incident has been relocated to on-campus housing and has received support and other resources from the University. The alleged perpetrator is not affiliated with the University,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Amari Hall, a former Pitt student who lives nearby, said apartment buildings in the area should consider additional layers of security instead of relying solely on keys or access cards.
“Regardless if you have a master key card or not, I feel like you should have to go through a certain amount of security in order to access the building,” Hall said.
Corlew remains inside the Allegheny County Jail after he was unable to post bail.
He is facing charges including burglary and simple assault.
Channel 11 reached out to the management company for comment and hasn’t heard back.
Staff placed a sign on a door that said the leasing office closed early Monday.
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