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Edgewood Robbery Suspect Arrested After Police Chase

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- An Edgewood robbery suspect was arrested after leading police on a chase through several neighborhoods Monday evening.

A homeless man walked into the Edgewood Express store, pretending to be a customer. When the store clerk opened the register, 25-year-old Jovon Whitt leaped onto the counter, scooped up as much money as he could and took off on foot.

Within minutes, officers from seven area police departments were giving chase, scouring a usually quiet Edgewood neighborhood for Whitt.

Mary McCarthy, who lives on Elm Street, was home alone.

"I live on a one-way street, and there were cop cars going in the opposite direction, speeding, lights flashing; I was like, 'What is going on?' I was home alone, I was calling my mom, then all of a sudden, I saw K-9s with no idea what was happening," she said.

"[The K-9s] picked up a good solid track and they tracked him down to the Oakview area and finally cornered him behind the house on Oakview which abuts the parkway," Edgewood Police Chief Robert Payne said.

Whitt was taken into custody a few blocks from the store after running into a wooded area off Maple Avenue.

"Out here in the East suburbs, we work very, very closely with the other police agencies and when something happens, we all act as one police department, which gives us the kind of manpower that we need," Chief Payne said.

Police said at times, in trying to make his getaway, he was actually running in both directions on the Parkway East. He was lucky he wasn't struck by a car. Then, he circled around and ended up on Maple Ave.

After Whitt was arrested, one of the neighbors expressed his gratitude, by offering police bottles of water.

Nobody was hurt in the chase, and no shots were fired.

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