A visually impaired man became the victim of a robbery within the confines of an elevator at the Steel Plaza T station in downtown Pittsburgh, authorities reported. The incident occurred last Wednesday around 4 p.m., where a 52-year-old man was approached and offered assistance by a suspect wearing a yellow vest, which escalated to the man being robbed, according to WPXI.
The victim, relying on a cane for his mobility, was going to take the stairs when he was met by the suspect, Phillip Montgomery, 58 who offered to help with the elevator but once inside the suspect asked if the victim had any money, and upon the victim's denial, Montgomery forcibly took the man's wallet, removed $2, and then threw the wallet back at him before fleeing the scene. This account aligns with the details provided in the criminal complaint as reported by WTAE.
Following this incident, Port Authority police issued an arrest warrant for Montgomery, who faces multiple charges that include robbery and harassment. He is already detained at the Allegheny County Jail on unrelated charges from a prior arrest on July 11. Channel 11 spoke with Kevin Lindner, a local worker who expressed his concern about safety in downtown Pittsburgh, stating, "You gotta keep your head on a swivel anywhere you are. It could get randomly dangerous, so you definitely have to be careful at all times," which he stated, as per WPXI.
