Police: Text messages lead to baseball bat attack, shooting in Arnold
Oct. 27—One man's attempt to assault another man with a baseball bat backfired when the other man pulled out a gun and shot him three times, according to Arnold police.
Arnold police this week charged both men they say were involved in the incident that happened shortly before midnight on Sept. 23.
Robert Lawrence, 34, who police say was shot three times, was sent to the Westmoreland County Prison after being arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. Pallone set Lawrence's bond at $50,000.
Police say Lawrence lured a man to an Arnold home after he said he found the man was exchanging text messages with his wife.
Lawrence, whose address police listed as Monessen, is charged with aggravated and simple assault, criminal use of a communication facility and recklessly endangering another person.
Pallone's office confirmed an arrest warrant was issued for the accused shooter, Quentin Arrington, 33, of Pittsburgh. According to court records, Arnold police charged Arrington with attempted homicide, aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and recklessly endangering another person.
According to a criminal complaint against Lawrence, the woman told police she was talking with a man she knew only as "Quentin" on a Facebook dating app, on Facebook and by text message. She told police they met and talked in person earlier that day when her vehicle broke down in Bellevue.
After she got home, the woman told police Lawrence asked questions about her day and did not like her answers, leading to an argument and fight over the text messages, during which Lawrence took her phone.
The complaint says Lawrence used his wife's phone to send text messages to Arrington to lure him to a house in the 1500 block of Fourth Avenue. The encounter was captured by a nearby city camera that covers the front of the residence.
Police say the video shows a white SUV heading north on Fourth Avenue and stopping in the 1500 block. A man gets out and walks to the residence. When Lawrence comes out, the men talk briefly on the sidewalk. Lawrence was noted to have what appeared to be a bat in his right hand.
Police said the video shows Lawrence hitting the man, identified as Arrington, a few times before turning to run away, dropping what appeared to be a phone.
Police said Arrington is seen backing up a few steps and pulling a handgun out of his front waistband. He then walks forward and fires at Lawrence.
Based on muzzle flashes seen in the video, police said, Arrington fired five or six rounds. Arrington picked up the item Lawrence dropped on the sidewalk before walking back to his vehicle and driving away.
Police found Lawrence had been shot in the upper left arm, lower right leg and right foot.
Officers found a bullet hole in the rear of Liberty Roofing, which is in the 1500 block of Third Avenue. Police said they recovered a total of three shell casings.
Police said they also found a metal baseball bat consistent with the bat seen in the video.
Brian C. Rittmeyer is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Brian at 724-226-4701, brittmeyer@triblive.com or via Twitter .
