Police: Pants, shoes, $200 taken during New Kensington robbery

A New Kensington man is accused of robbing another man Friday of $200, his pants and his shoes, according to police.

Lorenzo M. Pearson, 22, remained in the Westmoreland County Prison on Monday after failing to post a combined $150,000 bond. An attorney isn’t listed for him.

Police said they received a report shortly before 5:45 p.m. that a man had been robbed at gunpoint in the parking lot of the Burrell Residence on New Kensington’s Fifth Avenue. The man said he had agreed to meet up with and give Pearson $20, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.

The man told police that Pearson pulled out a gun and pointed it at his head, demanding everything the man had. He gave Pearson $200, his shoes and his pants, he told police. Pearson then drove away.

About half an hour later, Arnold police Officers Ryan Clark and David Clouse pulled over a car Pearson was riding in at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 16th Street. Police were looking for Pearson because of the earlier robbery.

Police said Pearson tried to flee after officers noticed a gun inside the car and attempted to arrest him. During the arrest, Clouse sustained a large cut to the left side of his jaw. Both officers eventually took Pearson to the ground and handcuffed him, a criminal complaint said.

Pearson, however, managed to escape and ran. According to a police report, Clark warned Pearson that he would use a Taser on him if he didn’t stop. Pearson allegedly ignored Clark’s commands, and the officer used his Taser, police said.

The man who was robbed was brought to the scene, and he positively identified Pearson as the man who robbed him, police said.

On Pearson, police said they found three small bags of suspected cocaine and $70. Inside the car were two guns, two scales, a large bag of marijuana, two cellphones and a box of sandwich bags.

Police said Pearson is not allowed to possess firearms because he pleaded guilty to robbery in July 2015 and to a firearms violation in March 2017. He faces numerous charges, including robbery, aggravated assault, escape, resisting arrest, and numerous drug and weapons violations.