Man charged with stabbing victim up to 40 times in Downtown Pittsburgh heads to trial

An Ohio man is headed to trial on charges that he stabbed a 65-year-old man dozens of times on a Downtown Pittsburgh sidewalk last month.

A district judge Thursday sent the case of Christopher Leroy Harris Jr., 30, of Sidney, Ohio, 40 miles north of Dayton, to Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

Harris remained in the Allegheny County Jail this week.

Security camera footage helped Pittsburgh police arrest Harris on June 18 — just 15 hours after the stabbing occurred before dawn outside a Liberty Avenue theater, according to a criminal complaint.

That footage showed Harris bending down around 4:45 a.m. and repeatedly stabbing a man who was seated on a milk crate on the sidewalk, the complaint said. The two men did not appear to interact before the attack.

When the victim, who police did not name, fell off the milk crate and onto the sidewalk, Harris continued stabbing him, the complaint said.

After several seconds, Harris started to walk away but then returned to the victim, stabbing him more than 10 times in the back, legs and buttocks, the complaint said. Harris struck the man in the head and left.

When Pittsburgh police arrived on the scene after a 911 call came in around 4:50 a.m., the victim was suffering from 30 to 40 stab wounds to his head, back and lower body, police said. A large pool of blood had formed nearby.

Paramedics rushed the victim in critical condition to UPMC Mercy hospital, the complaint said.

Later that day, detectives spotted Harris on a North Side trail often populated by homeless people, the complaint said. Harris was sitting on a rock under the Veterans Bridge, eating an apple.

Police took him into custody without incident.

Harris’ backpack, clothing and tattoos on his hands matched those of the suspect in the video footage, police said.

In police headquarters, an officer laid three still photographs from the video footage in front of Harris, the complaint said.

“Immediately as he saw them and before I said anything, Harris explained that he did not need to see the pictures or anything else and requested a lawyer,” police said in the complaint.

Police charged Harris with attempted homicide, recklessly endangering another person and two counts of aggravated assault.

He was taken to the Allegheny County Jail and arraigned June 19, court records show. Harris was denied bail because he “poses a substantial threat to the community,” District Judge Nicholas Martini wrote in court records.

Jeanne Marie Emhoff, a public defender, represented Harris at his preliminary hearing Thursday.

“We entered a plea of not guilty,” Emhoff told TribLive, “and we’re doing a full investigation into the charges.”

She declined further comment.