PITTSBURGH — A man is in custody, and Pittsburgh Police are searching for a second suspect after a reported assault inside a Carrick apartment building led to a lengthy SWAT response Monday afternoon.
Police were called around 3:30 p.m. to the corner of Brownsville Road and Merritt Avenue after a 911 caller said he was attacked by someone wearing a ski mask.
The victim told police he was visiting a friend at the apartment when the man, later identified as Charles Hunter, came in and punched him in his face more than two dozen times while also trying to rob him.
During the incident, one of the suspects referenced possessing a firearm, though one was never displayed.
The victim suffered minor injuries to his head.
Court documents said Hunter went into another apartment in the same building and did not come out when ordered to by police.
“We believed that someone may have been barricaded in one of the apartments,” Pittsburgh Police Chief Jason Lando said. “Our SWAT team arrived, along with a K-9 unit. They cleared the apartment building to make sure everyone was safe.”
SWAT was called and eventually secured a warrant to enter the apartment.
At around 6:15 p.m., Hunter was found by officers in a shared basement area after trying to escape from the window of a bathroom in building.
Hunter is facing several charges, including robbery and burglary.
Police emphasized that there were no hostages at any point during the incident.
Officers also detained three people who left the scene during the investigation, but they were later released.
Investigators are still searching for a second suspect who they believe was involved in the assault.
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