Pittsburgh police arrest 'violent offender' accused of daylight assault of woman on North Shore
Jul. 9—Pittsburgh police arrested a man they deemed a "violent offender" who is accused in the daylight assault of a woman along a North Shore trail after she rebuffed his advances.
Ozell Austin, 58, is charged with strangulation, attempted rape, indecent assault and other misdemeanors in connection with the June 28 attack on the Allegheny Riverwalk near Isabella Street.
The woman told police she was sitting on a retaining wall between the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along the Allegheny River and the office building behind it. She said a man, later identified as Austin, approached and asked, "gimme some love," according to the criminal complaint.
The woman said she moved farther down the retaining wall and away from Austin, who left the area, police said. He returned and attacked the woman, police said. Authorities said the assault was caught on security camera.
The footage, police said, shows events unfolding as told by the woman. The woman said the only thing that stopped Austin, who was punching her and trying to remove her shorts, was a witness who called down from a nearby building, according to the complaint. The witness said he heard the woman screaming and shouted down for Austin to stop.
Police said they showed a small clip of the security footage to employees at a North Side shelter, and one witness identified Austin as the man in the video. The witness said Austin had been to the shelter that morning for breakfast and was wearing the same clothes he was wearing during the assault.
Investigators said security footage from inside the shelter confirmed Austin had been there, according to the complaint. The woman who was attacked identified Austin as her attacker from a photo array, police said.
It was not immediately clear when a preliminary hearing for Austin would be held.
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