Police: Pittsburgh man robs East Liberty dollar store, flees in stolen van
A Pittsburgh man is accused of assaulting a Dollar Tree clerk, stealing $72 in cash from a store register and then driving off in a stolen van.
Kwon Lester, 43, was charged Tuesday with robbery, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, resisting arrest, fleeing or attempting to elude police and reckless driving.
Pittsburgh police said they responded to a call Monday about a robbery and assault at the Dollar Tree in the 6000 block of Penn Avenue in East Liberty.
Lester entered the store and struck a male clerk on the back of the neck with his fist while the clerk was helping a customer, police said. He then stole $72 in cash from the open register drawer before exiting the store.
Police said they received information that the suspect, later identified as Lester, left the area in a stolen white van that police later spotted after it was stuck in traffic. Lester ran from the van but was taken into custody a short time later, police said.
Lester is being held in Allegheny County Jail. He was denied bail because he has been deemed a threat to the community, court records show.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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