Woman, Child Safe After Possible Homewood Abduction, Suspect Kills Self
SWISSVALE (KDKA) – A woman and child are safe after a possible abduction in Homewood early Wednesday morning.
According to emergency dispatchers, the incident started in the 500 block of El Court just after 2:10 a.m.
Someone reportedly called 911 to say they heard windows smashing. The caller also reportedly saw a man holding a gun to the back of a woman who was with a small child.
"The City of Pittsburgh subsequently identified the abduction suspect and ultimately requested the assistance from Swissvale police to identify the suspect," Allegheny County Police Superintendent Coleman McDonough said.
Swissvale police found the suspect inside a car on Highland Avenue around 4 a.m.
"They approached the vehicle on Highland Avenue, where three persons were in the vehicle, including the suspect, his kidnapped victim and a 1-year-old child," McDonough said.
McDonough said officers on the scene tried to negotiate with the suspect, 20-year-old Andre Williams Jr. of McKeesport. However, police day he refused to show his hands and didn't respond to officers.
"Swissvale police officers attempted to negotiate with the suspect. During the negotiations, eventually a shot was fired," McDonough said.
Williams' family members were angry with police when they learned their relative died of a gunshot wound. They blamed the police, but McDonough said their initial investigation shows the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
"Preliminary investigation and witness statements indicate that the suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot at the scene," McDonough said.
Teams from the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office and crime scene investigators worked through the early morning hours, while detectives interviewed family members.
A autopsy is set for Thursday.
Police say the 19-year-old woman and child who were abducted in Homewood weren't injured.
Investigators say two juveniles were with Williams at the time of the alleged kidnapping. One of them was arrested on an existing warrant for escape. Additional charges may be filed against both individuals.
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