PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two Maryland men are accused of quickly robbing two local stores, just minutes apart on Thursday.
Police say the pair first robbed the T-Mobile store in Peters Township before hitting one in Bethel Park.
A T-Mobile customer in Peters Township called 911 as the two men allegedly began cutting cords and stealing $5,000 worth of phones.
A store manager chased them out the door and they took off down busy Route 88.
Police have identified the suspects as Elijah Walker and Malike Brittain, who both drove to the area from Maryland.
“They came to this area we believe to commit these targetted thefts,” said Bethel Park Police Chief Timothy O’Connor
O’Connor was close by at the time of the robberies and gave chase.
“I did run,” O’Connor said.
Chief O’Connor said the men made a large loop, running through the woods and up a steep hill to get away.
“I was pretty close, I was able to see them running up into the apartment complex, was able to get that info to our officers so they could head them up at the pass,” he said.
Investigators believe these men could be part of a bigger crime ring. Experts at cell phone store robberies, they were in and out in less than two minutes.
“Our detectives right now are trying to see if they committed other thefts in the area,” O’Connor said.
Bethel Park police chased the men in a large loop until both suspects were too out of breath to continue.
One of the suspects had to be transported to the hospital because of shortness of breath.
Both men are in the Allegheny County Jail, and they’re facing felony charges in two counties.
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