East Pittsburgh Man Held for Court in Swissvale Robbery

Brian A. Williams, 23, of East Pittsburgh was held for court on charges of robbery-take property from other by force, aggravated assault, simple assault and theft by unlawful taking in connection with a home invasion in Swissvale on Dec. 7, 2012.

A charge of robbery-inflict serious bodily injury was withdrawn when District Judge Thomas Caulfield heard the case on Jan. 2. Williams faces a formal arraignment in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court at 11 a.m. Feb. 2.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Swissvale police, officers responded to a call for a fight between several men in the 2200 block of Hawthorne Avenue. They were unable to locate the fight but, soon after arriving at the scene, saw a man walk out of a top front window of a home and stand on the roof.

The man told police that a home invasion had occurred and that a man was still in the house with a firearm. The man said Williams had been upset about an earlier fight with another man over money that he said was taken from him.

When the man refused a request for money by Williams, he said Williams hit him with a dark object that he thought was a gun. The victim suffered lacerations and visible swelling on his head, neck and face. He was taken to UPMC Presbyterian for treatment.

Police said Williams exited a rear top window to the second floor roof. An officer held him at gunpoint, brought him back through the window and took him into custody. He remains in Allegheny County Jail on $100,000 bond.

Wilkinsburg, Forest Hills, Edgewood and Rankin police assisted at the scene.

Caulfield also handled the following cases last week:

• Steven Vaughn James, 21, of McKeesport waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of driving under the influence (general impairment/incapable of driving safely, first offense), driving under the influence (highest rate of alcohol, blood alcohol content of .16+, first offense) and driving without a license. According to a criminal complaint filed by Forest Hills police, an officer on patrol along Ardmore Boulevard on Oct. 25, 2012 observed a white Chevy Blazer with its four-way flashers on. After a traffic stop, the passenger told police the driver was having trouble getting the car from "park" into "drive." When the driver, James, began to speak, his speech was slurred and mumbled. The officer detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage on James and noted that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. James failed field sobriety tests. A blood test conducted at Forbes Regional Hospital showed a blood alcohol content of .268 percent. The legal limit is .08.

• Salvatore Thomas Viveo, 20, of Youngwood, PA waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of driving under the influence (general impairment/incapable of driving safely, first offense), driving under the influence (minor, first offense), purchase of alcohol beverage by a minor, disregard traffic lane (single), driving at a safe speed, careless driving and minor prohibited from operating with alcohol. According to a criminal complaint filed by Braddock Hills police, Viveo was traveling at an excessive speed on the Parkway East prior to the Forest Hills exit. As he went around a curve, he lost control and struck a metal chain link fence on the southern berm of the road. The officer noted a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on Viveo, who told police he had been at a party on Mount Washington. Viveo failed field sobriety tests. A portable breath test registered a blood alcohol content of .122 percent and a blood test at Forbes Regional Hospital registered .111 percent. The legal limit is .08 percent.

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