A woman was accosted in a dim Pittsburgh alley at a knifepoint.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – The Pittsburgh Police Special Victims Unit is conducting a manhunt for a suspect involved in a sexual assault incident reported in the early hours of March 3. The assault occurred on the 200 block of Melwood Avenue.

A female victim reported that after disembarking from a PRT bus at the intersection of Centre Avenue and N. Craig Street, she was accosted by a male who claimed to have a knife or gun. The assailant forced her into an alley, threatened her life, and assaulted her, resulting in facial injuries.

During the assault, the victim observed a knife and noted the assailant took her cellphone. The suspect fled the scene after apparently being startled. The victim subsequently contacted emergency services from her apartment.

A local resident also reported the assault after hearing the incident. Emergency services transported the victim to a hospital for treatment and evaluation. The suspect is described as around 5’7″, 150 pounds, possibly in his 30s, wearing all black and a ski mask.