Man, woman arrested in East Liberty bank holdup

Philicia Barbieri Alvin Carter

A man and woman who allegedly worked together to rob an East Liberty bank today were caught shortly after the crime and charged with robbery and criminal conspiracy, Pittsburgh police said.

Alvin Carter, 28, and Philicia Barbieri, 24, both of Shadyside, were charged after a man, believed to be Mr. Carter, entered the Fifth-Third Bank in the 6000 block of Penn Circle South and passed a teller a note that said: "Give me $2000 or I will shoot you . . . No dye packs."

The teller gave him some money and the suspect fled toward East Busway.

As police converged on the area just a short time later they spotted Mr. Carter and Ms. Barieri in the parking lot at Barack Obama School just a few blocks away.

Mr. Carter was identified by bank employees, and police said in a news release that evidence indicates Ms. Barbieri may have been an accomplice to the bank robbery.

This was the second robbery of a Fifth-Third Bank in Pittsburgh in three days, though a bank spokewoman said she didnt' believe they were related because the suspects were different.

The branch in the 4700 block of Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield was robbed Wednesday.

The prior robbery occurred at 2:30 p.m. when a man entered the bank and passed the teller a note demanding money.

The suspect in that robbery was described as a white man, who appeared to be in his 40s, standing about 5-feet-8, wearing a brown jacket. He remains at large.

Sean D. Hamill: shamill@post-gazette.com or 412-263-2579.

First published on April 15, 2011 at 11:20 am