By Doug Gulasy

Published: Thursday, December 20, 2012, 2:46 p.m.
Updated: Thursday, December 27, 2012

A Heidelberg man has been charged with unlawful restraint of a minor and harassment after an incident involving two Carnegie Elementary students at a bus stop Thursday morning.

Stanley J. Patterson, 60, of Heidelberg allegedly approached two children, ages 7 and 8, at the intersection of West Main and Sixth streets at around 8 a.m. Thursday.

Police said Patterson put his hands on the shoulder of one of the children, who immediately broke away. The children, who are siblings, ran to their home nearby.

“I don't know what his motivation was, but immediately when the children sensed danger, they did the right thing,” Carnegie police Chief Jeff Harbin said.

Harbin said the child's father spotted the man walking east on Main Street and confronted him. The father took a picture of the suspect with his cell phone and called police.

Carnegie police investigated and sent the photo to Port Authority, and a bus driver recognized Patterson as one of his passengers. Green Tree police responded to the bus on Noblestown Road, and Carnegie police took Patterson into custody at 8:32 a.m.

Harbin said Patterson claimed to be a preacher.

Patterson was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Dennis Joyce and was remanded to Allegheny County Jail. He must be cleared by the jail's behavioral clinic before his release on a $5,000 10 percent bond.

“I'm just glad that we were able to make a quick arrest in this,” Harbin said. “Obviously, with what happened in Newtown, if we did not get this individual, there would have been some heightened anxiety in the community.”

Doug Gulasy is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-8527 or dgulasy@tribweb.com.

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