Police say Clairton man jailed as suspect in 3 area robberies
A Clairton man is being held in the Allegheny County Jail on charges of robbing two area convenience stores and an attempted robbery of a third store late Friday.
David Vankavelaar, 29, is charged by county police with robbery, terroristic threats, theft by unlawful taking, simple assault, and recklessly endangering another person in connection to one armed robbery in Pleasant Hills.
About 7:50 p.m. Friday, 911 dispatchers notified police of an armed robbery at the BP gas station and 7-Eleven at 650 Clairton Boulevard, according to county police Sgt. Matthew Mineard. Police said a man with a handgun demanded cash from a convenience store employee and fled with an unspecified amount of money.
Detectives later learned that at 8:20 p.m. a BP station at 4731 Buttermilk Hollow Road in West Mifflin was also robbed. Mineard said later Friday night an attempted robbery was reported at a store in Monroeville.
The third incident resulted in the arrest of Vankavelaar by Monroeville police, he said.
Monroeville police have charged Vankavelaar with robbery and public drunkenness in that case, according to online dockets.
He was ordered held in the county jail after failing to post $10,000 bond.
Charges are pending in the West Mifflin robbery, police said.
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