East Pittsburgh woman said man threatened to shoot her before taking baby that prompted Amber Alert, police say
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A 20-year-old man who sparked an Amber Alert for a 1-year-old girl Thursday twice pointed a gun at the girl’s mother and threatened to kill the woman before taking their child, according to state police.
The girl, taken from her mother’s East Pittsburgh home, was recovered safely by a SWAT team, according to police.
State police charged Giante Lee Thomas Jr. with burglary, robbery, carrying a firearm without a license, terroristic threats, endangering the welfare of children, reckless endangerment and simple assault. He was denied bail during an arraignment early Friday morning and sent to the Allegheny County Jail.
According to a criminal complaint, the woman told police that Thomas walked inside her home about 12:30 p.m. Thursday when she opened a rear door as someone was leaving. He began arguing with the baby’s mother, accusing her of keeping their baby from him.
The woman told police that when she called her mother to tell her Thomas was there, he grabbed the phone and began arguing with her mother before hanging up. The woman told police he put the phone in his pocket and took another from a nightstand, according to the criminal complaint.
Thomas then started gathering the baby’s clothes, which the woman believed meant he was going to take her, authorities said. She picked up the baby and cradled her.
The woman told police that Thomas started grabbing for the baby, but she would not let go. She said Thomas pulled a gun from his pants, pointed it at her head and said many times that he would kill her before putting the gun away, according to the criminal complaint.
The woman told police Thomas then bit her on her left wrist, causing her to let go of the baby. She said he took the baby to the living room and got a car seat, authorities said.
When she tried to grab for the baby and the car seat, the woman told police that Thomas again pulled his gun, pointed it at her and threatened to kill her, according to the complaint. She told police he raised the gun as if he was going to hit her.
Thomas then took the keys to her vehicle and grabbed a diaper bag off a couch. With the baby in the car seat, Thomas put the baby in the vehicle and drove off, according to the complaint.
Pittsburgh police said detectives spotted the vehicle in the 3700 block of Wind Gap Avenue. SWAT was called to the scene about 6:15 p.m.
The baby was recovered from inside a residence. She was taken to a local hospital for observation and to be reunited with her mother, police said.
Pittsburgh police said three people from the residence were taken into custody. The others were not identified.
Thomas is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 6.