Robber wearing 'Scream' mask strikes again in Shadyside

PITTSBURGH — Police are investigating another robbery committed by a man in all black wearing a scream mask.

On Monday, a woman was walking near the intersection Howe Street and Ivy Lane in Shadyside around 11:15 p.m. when she was robbed.

The victim reported that the man jumped out from behind bushes and demanded her purse. The suspect did not show a weapon.

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"There’s a difference between somebody who is just robbing people, wearing what you're wearing," said CMU student Dan Ritter. "And there’s a difference between someone who gets in a costume. That’s what people make horror movies about."

Police say this is concerning because there have been multiple similar reports in the past few weeks. Two prior incidents occurred within minutes of each other on Walnut Street on Sept. 17. In one of those incidents, the robber pointed a gun at the victim.

Students from the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University live in the area. While police do not believe the victims were students, both schools sent out alerts as a precaution.

"To ensure that our employees who work on Walnut Street are safe, we're actually only leaving the store with another employee after dark," said Lauren Sapienza, who works in the area. "Walking each other to our cars and then one person will drive the other person to their car to ensure that nobody is walking alone."

Cox Media Group