Police: Girlfriend Confesses To Part In Bank Robbery, Chase

Woman Told Man To Continue Driving During Chase, Police Say

POSTED: 1:55 pm EDT September 6, 2008
UPDATED: 7:20 pm EDT September 6, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- The woman in a pair accused of a bank robbery that led to a wild 20-mile chase along Route 28 in Pittsburgh on Friday confessed to driving her boyfriend's car to the bank, according to the police criminal complaint released Saturday.

VIDEO: Exclusive Raw Footage Of Chase From Sky 4

Pittsburgh police identified the suspects as John McAleavey, 36, of Pittsburgh, and Meghan Jaeger, 21, of Ohio.

Exclusive Sky 4 video shows the Saturn Vue belonging to McAleavey eluding police at speeds of as much as 80 mph at about 6:15 p.m. Friday. Pittsburgh police said McAleavey and Jaeger were fleeing a robbery of the National City Bank branch in the Banksville Shopping Plaza.

Pittsburgh police said Jaeger confessed to driving McAleavey's SUV to the shopping center with McAleavey inside. Then, both got out of the SUV. Jaeger switched to the passenger seat and McAleavey entered the bank at about 5:50 p.m., police said.

Police: McAleavey Tells Bank Tellers He's Armed

A police cruiser flips over after pulling alongside the suspect vehicle. The officer was not believed to be seriously hurt.

Pittsburgh police said that McAleavey demanded money and jumped the counter of the bank wearing a black-colored baseball cap, a black-colored wig, a dark-colored bandana, a hooded sweatshirt and gloves.

According to the criminal complaint, McAleavey told the bank tellers, "I have a gun. I don't want to hurt anybody. Give me the fifties and hundreds."

McAleavey was able to flee with about $3,000, but not without a witness seeing him enter and exit the bank, police said. The witness called 911 to report the location of the SUV after it left the bank.

Pittsburgh Police Pursue Suspects

Pittsburgh police responded to the 911 call and spotted the SUV at the intersection of Saw Mill Run and West Warrington Avenue, at which point, police said, the SUV sped toward the city's Belzthoover neighborhood through Mount Washington and back toward the West End Circle.

The SUV then led dozens of officers onto the Fort Pitt Bridge, striking a truck along the way, and going through Millvale, Shaler, Sharpsburg and Etna.

Running into a traffic jam on an overpass near Etna, the car temporarily stopped. Officers approached with guns drawn, but the driver was slowly able to work his way through the congestion and took off again.

Tires Blown Out, Police Cruiser Overturns During Chase

Witnesses tell police a robbery suspect that led officers on a long chase was wearing a black wig.

Police threw spike sticks onto the road, but the SUV drove over them and continued ahead with blown tires.

"The road spikes were deployed to try to slow him down they did just that they deflated his tire and he continued to drived," Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper said.

Pittsburgh police Lt. Timothy O'Connor's police cruiser flipped onto its side during the pursuit when he tried to stop the SUV. O'Connor's left arm was seriously injured in the collision.

Speeds during the pursuit reached as much as 80 mph, police estimated, and the chase eventually ended on the 31st Street Bridge when dozens of police officers converged to arrest the pair inside the SUV.

Exclusive Sky 4 video showed several officers pulling McAleavey out of the SUV and repeatedly striking him before taking him into custody.

"Police showed a lot of restraint by not firing any shots," Harper said. "The suspect was still very combative when they got him out of that vehicle. If you noticed, (there were) at least two or three officers holding the other officers back. Any time you get too many hands in there it's not good situation."

Police said they found money, clothing and wig worn by McAleavey from inside the vehicle. According to the criminal complaint, Jaeger admitted to investigators that she told McAleavey to continue driving during the pursuit.

McAleavey and Jaeger are facing numerous charges including aggravated assault, robbery, reckless endangerment of another person, receiving stolen property, fleeing and eluding police and hit-and-run. Jaeger will face a conspiracy charge.

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