Police looking for woman who allegedly robbed Monongahela convenience store
A woman with addresses in Monessen and Daisytown faces charges on both sides of the Monongahela River after allegedly stealing her mother’s car in Monessen, robbing a convenience store in Monongahela, then disappearing after abandoning the car in Brownsville.
A criminal complaint was filed Monday with Monessen Magisterial District Judge Joseph D’Alfonso against Lori Lee Pidich, 45, who had been staying with her 5-year-old daughter at her mother’s home in Monessen for the past two weeks.
Monongahela Police Chief Brian Tempest said other charges were to be filed with McMurray Magisterial District Judge James C. Ellis in connection with the robbery at the 7/11 convenience store along West Main Street and Route 136 in Monongahela.
“During this time (Pidich’s mother) has been having problems with Lori and believes she is doing drugs,” the Monessen police affidavit read. “(On Friday) she had to contact (Monessen Police) Department to assist with EMS because Lori stated she was going to harm herself.”
The affidavit said Pidich had been taken to Mon Valley Hospital Friday night, evaluated, then released.
Pidich’s mother said her daughter told her at 8 p.m. Saturday she was going to see a neighbor, but instead found that her 2009 white Nissan Maxima had been taken, along with a $1,400 gold bangle bracelet from her jewelry box.
Monessen Police Lt. Michael P. Kelemen said in the affidavit that Pidich returned to her mother’s home at 9:27 p.m. He said she was driving with a suspended license.
“I pulled behind the vehicle and got out,” Kelemen wrote. “At that time she drove off up Cresent Drive (and) followed her up Cresent Drive onto High Street.”
Another officer gave pursuit. The affidavit said Pidich nearly hit that officer’s cruiser then escaped down Grand Boulevard.
Tempest said Pidich drove to his city where she allegedly robbed a 7/11 convenience store along West Main Street and Route 136 – and tried to run over a clerk as she was fleeing – shortly after 10 p.m.
“Employees said it was a white female driving a white Nissan,” Tempest said. “We have received a partial (license) plate.”
Pidich allegedly entered the store and went behind the counter, telling a male clerk, “This is a robbery.”
Tempest said, “The male clerk uttered an obscenity, told her, ‘get the (expletive) out of here.’ (The suspect) said, ‘I have a gun and I will use it.’ She opened the register, took an undetermined amount of cash and knocked the register to the floor.”
Pidich allegedly wasn’t done.
“She took an undetermined number of (packs of) cigarettes,” Tempest said. “Another (female) clerk went out the door to get a picture and was almost run over by the defendant.
Tempest said Pidich faced charges of robbery, terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, theft by unlawful taking and retail theft in Monongahela.
The Monessen affidavit listed charges of theft by unlawful taking of movable property, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license and driving over maximum speed limits.
The Monessen affidavit said units from Rostraver Township and North Belle Vernon also were involved in searching for Pidich on the east side of the Mon. Monessen Police Chief John Mandarino said the car was abandoned in Brownsville where it was recovered by state police.
Pidich was awaiting trial on retail theft charges in from a Nov. 9 incident in North Franklin Township, Washington County. The docket for that case listed a Daisytown address for the suspect.
She was free on $1,000 unsecured bond pending a pretrial conference May 25 before Common Pleas Judge Michael J. Lucas.