Car stolen during Pittsburgh home invasion found in Westmoreland County

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police are investigating a home invasion and robbery in Knoxville.

Investigators said three to five suspects forced their way into a home on Orchard Place around 12:30 Thursday morning.

“My partner and I, and my dog walk regularly every day and we’ve never had any bad situation,” said Karen Brooks who lives nearby.

Karen Brooks moved to the Knoxville area about six months ago and was upset to learn that this morning there had been a home invasion in her neighborhood.

Police told Channel 11 News that a group of men ran into a home on Orchard Place in Knoxville on Thursday morning: pistol-whipping the tenants inside and then driving off in their vehicle taking money and a gun.

This is the second time this week that this has happened in a city neighborhood.

“I really think that this kind of thing can and will happen anywhere,” Brooks said.

On Tuesday, in Lincoln-Lemington, a very similar situation a group of about six men and one woman acted as a decoy before the group busted into the home stealing a PlayStation and a wallet.

In both situations the robbers had guns; however, police tell us they do not believe these incidents are connected. They also don’t believe that they were targeted. Police believe these are both crimes of opportunity. On Thursday morning in Knoxville, the door may have been left unlocked, and in Lincoln-Lemington one of the residents opened the door when the woman asked to use a charger.

Neighbors in Knoxville said that while these incidents are unfortunate, they can and do happen all over.

“I lived in Lawrenceville and exactly that same thing happened to me, [they] stole my TV, my videogame consoles, broke in the door it was terrifying, and it is terrifying. I feel so badly for the people it happened to,” Brooks said.

Police told us that because the crooks stole the car they would be able to collect surveillance footage of those suspects. They are still urging anyone who may have seen anything to contact them immediately.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group