PITTSBURGH — A 15-year-old and two men were arrested Saturday during a drug deal set up by police in a grocery store parking lot on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
Detectives learned that a man, Robert Harper, was coordinating the sale of heroin and obtained his phone number, police said. They sent a text to Harper and he agreed to meet in the parking lot of the Giant Eagle on Cedar Avenue.
According to a criminal complaint, Harper arrived to the fake drug deal with another man and the teenager. The teenager went over to the undercover officers and exchanged two bundles of heroin for $120, police said.
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While the teenager was being arrested, Harper and the other man put their car in reverse and drove away, police said. They were later caught and arrested. %
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The teenager was interviewed by police and said that Harper made him take part in the drug deal. He said Harper asked him if he wanted to make some money and when he got into the car with the two men he got nervous because “no one was talking and he didn’t know where they were going,” the complaint said.
Police said the teenager told detectives that he was scared, but he couldn’t call anyone because his phone was dead. He was handed the heroin by Harper, who told him to go sell it.
Harper is facing several charges, including luring a child into a car.