Pittsburgh police charge 2 teens in South Side vape shop armed robbery
Police have charged two Pittsburgh teens with the armed robbery of a South Side vape shop last month.
Jermaine Strong, 18, and Llaila Ahkunke, 17, wielded a shotgun and pistol when they stole cash and vape cartridges from Keystone Vapes on East Carson Street on Dec. 13, according to a criminal complaint in the case.
A witness told police the two are cousins and live together in the Hill District.
Eight private and city-owned cameras nearby helped police track the pair before, during and after the crime, the complaint said. A Jan. 8 social media post by Pittsburgh police, which featured photos from those cameras, led to their identification.
Pittsburgh police were dispatched to Keystone Vapes at about 11:04 p.m.
The complaint said Strong entered the vape shop and asked about some products the store was selling, according to an account the store’s owner gave to police.
After being told he needed ID to buy the products, Strong said he’d be back with his father and left. Ahkunke then came into the shop and started browsing.
Minutes later, Strong re-entered the store. Now armed with a shotgun and wearing a different colored jacket, Strong jumped over the counter and demanded the register’s cash, the complaint said. Ahkunke pulled up a mask and took out a pistol, according to police.
Strong filled several bags with the register’s cash and items from the store’s shelves, and the two ran away through the back door, the complaint said.
Police said the two stole between $200 and $2,000 in cash and merchandise.
On Jan. 16, eight days after posting the suspects’ surveillance-camera photos social media, a witness called police and identified the pair.
The two were charged with robbery, simple assault, and receiving stolen property. Strong was also charged with carrying a firearm without a license, while Ahkunke was charged with possession of a firearm by a minor.
A district judge denied bail for Strong bail, saying he posed a threat to the community and the victim, who was not identified.
Ahkunke’s bail was set at $20,000.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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