Restaurant Owner Arrested, Charged With Sexual Assault

Follow KDKA-TV: Facebook | Twitter

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) --- The owner of a popular and highly-rated Pittsburgh restaurant is charged with sexually assaulting a woman.

Adnan Pehlivan, 46, was arrested late Tuesday night.

Pehlivan is the owner of Istanbul Sofra, located in the city's Regent Square neighborhood.

According to the criminal complaint, the female accuser told police she met Pehlivan for the first time Monday evening at Kopy's Bar on Pittsburgh's South Side. She said he bought drinks for her and her friends. She said they later left the bar alone, without anyone giving Pehlivan their phone number or address.

Police say the accuser told them she went home at the end of the night and went to bed, but was awakened some time later by someone performing a sexual act on her. She told police she immediately recognized the person as Pehlivan.

Police say the accuser told them she fought with Pehlivan, who jumped out of her bed. She claimed she chased him and, at one point, grabbed him by his collar. The accuser claimed Pehlivan punched her to break free and fled the house.

However, he returned immediately to get a suit jacket he left behind near the door. Then, he ran out again and closed the door.

The woman says she recognized his face and he was wearing the same clothes he was wearing at the bar.

"I just can't believe - I just can't believe it. I'm really anxious to see how the neighborhood reacts and the women in our neighborhood especially," Gina Capriotti said.

According to the criminal complaint, police found evidence of someone breaking into the home through a window and attempting to force open another window.

Istanbul Sofra opened in 2014. It has been rated as a top restaurant in the Pittsburgh area by the travel website TripAdvisor and others.

Stay With KDKA.com For More Details