Police: Man runs across ice-covered river with stolen scratch-off tickets
- 5-year-old boy claims to have lived past life as Chicago woman
- Deputies deliver birthday surprise to autistic boy
- Long-missing clown mascot found in sex offender's home
- Obituary: Florida man died of 'uppercut from Batman'
- Ghost Jeep' and other amazing ice formations
A man allegedly burglarized a downtown Pittsburgh convenience store before running across the ice-covered Allegheny River early Sunday morning in an attempt to elude police.
Pittsburgh Public Information Officer Sonya Toler said officers were called to a burglary at 9th & Penn News and Numbers at about 12:30 a.m.
Leading up to the burglary, three men had gone into the parking garage at the same address and asked for help, claiming their aunt was slumped over the steering wheel of a car located on another floor of the garage, Toler said.
Two witnesses went with two of the men to assist them. However, the third man, William McManus, stayed behind, stating that he was going to wait at the front door near the store, according to a criminal complaint.
One of the witnesses became suspicious and returned to check on McManus, who was seen climbing out of a broken front door window, stuffing scratch-off tickets into his coat. McManus then ran onto 9th Street and onto Ft. Duquesne Boulevard.
The other two men also fled, Toler said.
Soon thereafter, police saw McManus running along the river walk toward the Strip District.
Toler said McManus ran along the river bank until he reached the Veteran's Bridge, at which point he ran across the frozen river. He was taken into custody as he climbed the bank on the North Side, near River Avenue.
Police recovered more than 100 scratch-off tickets, as well as a screwdriver from McManus, Toler said.
McManus was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. Charges include burglary, possessing instruments of crime and escape.
Toler said that the investigation determined that a man matching McManus' description had previously taken scratch-off tickets from the same location.
