PITTSBURGH — A man is in custody for the death of a woman who was driving for Uber when she went missing and was found shot to death.
Neighbors reported a large police presence in Penn Hills, where Channel 11 learned the man was taken into custody on Thursday. According to investigators, Calvin Crew, 22, of Penn Hills, is believed to be the one responsible for the death of Christina Spicuzza. He was charged with criminal homicide, robbery and tampering with evidence.
Spicuzza’s Nissan Sentra was found Saturday morning in Pitcairn without the dashcam. Her body was later found dumped along a wooded hillside off Rosecrest Drive in Monroeville, days after she was reported missing. She had been shot once in the head, and police said an Amazon driver spotted her body.
Investigators said Spicuzza was driving for Uber when she was last heard from.
>>READ MORE: Woman found dead on hillside in Monroeville identified as missing Uber driver
The criminal complaint for Crew stated how investigators used cellphones, license plate readers and traffic cameras to track the movements of Spicuzza, her car and Crew. Additionally, detectives eventually were able to track down the dashcam. It showed Crew putting a gun to Spicuzza’s head and ordering her to drive. She told him she had a family and children, but Crew allegedly kept the gun pointed at her neck.
“I’m begging you. I have four kids,” were some of Spicuzza’s last words, according to the complaint.
The document stated Crew eventually reached up and grabbed the camera before the video ended.
Investigators said Crew’s girlfriend ordered the Uber, and he used her gun to murder Spicuzza.
Immediately after Spicuzza was murdered, Crew tried to access her banking apps to transfer money to his girlfriend’s phone, authorities said.
It’s unclear whether any charges will be filed against Crew’s girlfriend, but police said they are consulting with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office.
Spicuzza’s fiance, Brandon Marto, sent Channel 11 a statement days after she was found:
“I would like to thank the entire community for the non-stop outpouring of prayers, condolences, and donations. My entire family and I would not be able to get through this difficult time without support from the family, friends, and wonderful neighbors. I would like to personally thank Pitcairn Police Chief Scott Farrelly for truly going above and beyond to give our family the answers we were so desperately searching for. Amongst the outreach of support that I have received, I have been contacted by a number of female Uber drivers, all of whom wanted to express their condolences but also to share how unsafe they feel on trips. We together agree, there are insufficient safety measures in place for the drivers and this needs to change. In the first extremely critical hours of my wife’s disappearance, when every second mattered, I feel that I could not have received less help from Uber, even though I was attempting to move mountains to find Christi. I have seen that Uber has released a statement saying they are sending condolences to the family, while ‘working with’ police. Yet I have received no such condolences, and I do not want the public to confuse the words ‘working with’ as ‘cooperating’. I don’t want to see this happen to someone else’s sister, daughter or wife. Uber needs to protect its drivers more and it starts here with Christi. Please continue to send us prayers. Thank you.”
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