Pitt basketball player Ithiel Horton charged with South Side assault on police officer

University of Pittsburgh basketball player Ithiel Horton was arrested Saturday morning and charged with punching a police officer during an altercation on Pittsburgh’s South Side, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review.

Horton, 21, a third-year guard from New Jersey, was in the Allegheny County Jail awaiting arraignment following his arrest shortly after 1 a.m. on Carson Street.

Police said Horton became enraged with an operator who attempted to tow his truck. An officer who responded to the call was punched in the face by Horton and suffered a lacerated lip, police said. Horton ran from the officer before he was captured and arrested.

He was charged with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

Also arrested with Michelle Pilyugin, 19, of New York. She is charged with false identification to law enforcement, disorderly conduct, two counts of carrying a false identification card, public drunkenness and underage drinking.

Horton, a redshirt junior, is Pitt’s leading returning scorer from last season, with an 8.9 points-per-game average and a shooting percentage of 37.1 beyond 3-point range. He appeared in all 22 games and started 18.

Horton transferred to Pitt from Delaware in 2019 and sat out that season due to NCAA transfer rules at the time.

His arrest occurred five days after Pitt senior Nike Sibande, also a starting guard, was lost for the season after tearing the ACL in is right knee Monday night in an exhibition game against Gannon.

The Pitt athletic department issued the following statement: “We are aware of a report regarding one of our student-athletes, but will decline comment until additional information is gathered.”

Pitt will open its season Tuesday against The Citadel at Petersen Events Center.