A man and a woman are in the Allegheny County Jail after police said they duped a woman into going to Point State Park on Friday where the man stabbed her in the neck and attempted to drag her into the river.
Cody Linders-Heck, 23, no address available, and Janelle Moore, 20, of McKees Rocks, were charged in connection to the crime. They were denied bail.
Linders-Heck is charged with aggravated assault, unlawful restraint and criminal conspiracy. Moore faces charges of criminal conspiracy and unlawful restraint.
Pittsburgh police were called at about 9:45 p.m. to the riverwalk along the Monongahela River, where they found a woman in her early 20s lying on the ground bleeding from the neck.
“This was not a random attack. This was a known assailant,” Pittsburgh Police Lt. Eric Baker told TribLive news partner WTAE.
“There were people around when it happened, and in fact, this woman is still alive because of their actions and their assistance in saving her life.”
He said bystanders applied pressure to her wound until help arrived.
The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
According to court papers, Moore said she was sitting with the victim, who she called her “sister,” along the riverwalk when what was supposed to be an unknown man ran toward them and stabbed the victim.
Moore said the man dragged the victim on the ground before dropping her and running off toward the fountain.
Police caught up with Linders-Heck, who matched the description of the suspect and was positively identified by the victim.
Linders-Heck told police he tried to stab the victim because his fiance, Moore, told him to — but was not successful.
According to court papers, he said the plan to kill the victim was plotted by Moore.
Linders-Heck told police that after he attempted to stab the victim, he dragged her across the ground and was going to throw her into the river. He said Moore told him to stop, while she yelled to the victim, “Have you learned your lesson?”
The victim told police that Moore also assaulted her.
Linders-Heck is scheduled for a preliminary hearing May 6 in Pittsburgh Municipal Court. Moore’s preliminary hearing is scheduled May 9.
