Man charged in Penn Hills abduction was on probation for similar incident last year

A man on probation for assaulting a Penn Hills teenager broke into the girl’s home Wednesday and forced her into his car, prompting a statewide Amber Alert and search before she was found relatively safe in McKeesport, authorities said.

Police arrested Jermaine LaQuay Rodgers, 19, after a standoff at a home in McKeesport, authorities said. Marjani Aquil, 16, was taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh for facial injuries.

Rodgers is accused of breaking through his ex-girlfriend’s front door on Glenbrook Drive about 3:30 p.m., according to a criminal complaint.

Aquil’s mother, who was at work at the time, said she watched the ordeal unfold on the home’s security camera, police said.

A juvenile who was in the home said she had heard a noise at the front door and alerted Aquil, according to the complaint. That’s when Rodgers broke through the door and punched Aquil hard enough to knock her to the ground, where he continued pummeling the teen, police said.

Policed noted that when they arrived, the home’s front door frame was broken and lying on the floor.

The juvenile told officers that Rodgers demanded Aquil turn off the camera as he continued to punch her, according to the complaint. The other juvenile ran from the house.

Rodgers took Aquil and forced her into the backseat of a red car, where the juvenile witness reported seeing someone else already inside, according to the complaint. She was unable to provide a description.

The witness said Rodgers noticed her and demanded she get in the car, but she refused, according to the complaint. Rodgers lifted his shirt to show a black semi-automatic pistol, the witness said, and he threatened to have someone come kill the young witness.

Rodgers took off, sparking the manhunt.

He faces charges of kidnapping, burglary, unlawful restraint, making terroristic threats, simple assault, harassment and criminal mischief.

“He assaulted her in the house, forcibly took her from the home, put her into a car and left the area,” said Penn Hills police Chief Howard Burton.

Rodgers allegedly took the teen to a home in McKeesport, Burton said. Rodgers was livestreaming the ordeal on Facebook, and a woman saw the stream and alerted police about 11:40 p.m.

Just before midnight, McKeesport police descended on a home on 28^th Street, authorities said. As the door was opened, officers grabbed Aquil and took her to safety.

Others in the home refused to come out, police said. SWAT officers responded and made contact via loudspeaker. Two others eventually came out: a missing child from Munhall and 18-year-old Christian Peterson.

The missing juvenile was turned over the Children and Youth Services, authorities said. Peterson, of McKeesport, was charged with hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice.

Rodgers, however, remained in the home, police said. A three-hour standoff ensued before SWAT officers forced their way into the basement, where they found Rodgers hiding in a coal cellar.

Wednesday’s ordeal came a little under one year after police alleged Rodgers kidnapped and assaulted Aquil. On Jan. 29, police said he kidnapped the girl, assaulted her and kept her in a Wilkinsburg apartment for four days. He was arrested on those charges in March.

At a court appearance last month, charges of kidnapping and witness intimidation against Rodgers for the 2018 incident were withdrawn, court records show. He pleaded guilty to making terroristic threats and simple assault — both misdemeanors.

His guilty plea, entered on Dec. 6, netted him one year of probation.

He was also ordered to complete a batterers’ intervention program, undergo a mental health evaluation and have no contact with Aquil.

Olympic wrestler and gold medalist Kurt Angle identified Aquil as his niece in a Facebook post. He shared a link to an article about her abduction late Wednesday night saying, “Uncle Kurt loves you, Mini. Come back home to us safely.”

Later, he expressed relief that Aquil was found and thanked police. “My family is truly appreciative,” he wrote.

Megan Guza is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Megan at 412-380-8519, mguza@tribweb.com or via Twitter @meganguzaTrib.Brian Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BCRittmeyer.