McKees Rocks Amber Alert suspect turns himself in to police

PITTSBURGH — A man accused of taking his four kids from their mother without permission and then taking off, prompting an Amber Alert, has turned himself into police.

McKees Rocks police tell Channel 11 Rodney Copeland Jr. turned himself in on Wedneday night.

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He is currently in the Allegheny County Jail.

Copeland Sr. told Channel 11 he was shocked when he found out a statewide Amber Alert had been issued for his four grandchildren.

"I got on the phone with 911 and came straight here and let them know I had the kids and they were never kidnapped," Copeland Sr. said.

McKees Rocks police said Copeland Jr. allegedly abducted his four kids and drove off with them in their mother's car after an argument.

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Police said Copeland Jr. jumped into his estranged girlfriend's car along Carson Street in McKees Rocks and tried to steal her purse.

When she pulled off the side of the road. Copeland Jr. allegedly took the keys out of the ignition. The woman got out of the car and he took off in it with the kids in tow.

The car was later found abandoned in Bellevue, but Copeland Jr. is still on the run.

Copeland Jr. is described as a light-skinned black male, around 5 feet, 6 inches tall and has black hair in a pony tail and brown eyes.

Thankful that his grandchildren are safe, Copeland Sr. has a plea for his son.

"If you're out there Rodney and if you're listening to me on TV, you call me, I'll come get you and we will come do this together cause we know the truth, we just got to explain it to everybody else," Copeland Sr. said.

Cox Media Group