Police: Facebook friend request led to beating of New Stanton woman

A Pittsburgh man who police said befriended a New Stanton woman on Facebook is accused of beating her and stealing her laptop and notebook, according to court papers.

Brian Craig Wilkinson, 45, of the city’s Greenfield neighborhood, was arrested Wednesday in connection with the March 25 incident. He was being held at the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bail.

State police were called to the woman’s apartment at 12:30 p.m. two days after the alleged assault and found her with numerous black and yellow bruises, including on her eyes, throat, chest and arms, according to court papers.

She told investigators that a person named “Brian” sent her a friend request on the social media site a few months ago and they began talking. On March 23, he showed up at her apartment and needed a place to stay, police said.

Two days went by and the man started claiming there was a warrant for her arrest and assaulted her, according to court papers. The man grabbed his belongings, along with her laptop and notebook, and fled, threatening that if she contacted the police “he would return to finish the job,” police said.

The woman was taken to a local hospital for treatment and identified several of the suspect’s tattoos for police — a skull on his hand, a naked woman on his arm and a skull/arrow on his stomach.

Troopers found the Facebook profile the woman described and identified Wilkinson as the suspect. The woman was shown photographs of Wilkinson’s tattoos that were taken during past arrests, according to court papers. She identified him as her attacker, police said.

Wilkinson is charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, unlawful restraint and related offenses. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A May 15 preliminary hearing is set.