William Gregory, 35, was arrested and charged with ethical intimidation and burglary after he broke into a home, pretended to be an ICE agent and tried to steal a PlayStation and other electronic accessories, according to police and Pittsburgh's Action News 4. The man was chased away by a 17-year-old boy.
According to the criminal complaint, Gregory entered a home in Beltzhoover, Pennsylvania (a neighborhood in South Pittsburgh) through a kitchen window, claiming to be an ICE agent. Gregory reportedly demanded to see documentation regarding the legal status of the home's occupants. Gregory held the teenager at knifepoint as he attempted to steal a PlayStation console, a PlayStation controller and the boy's mobile phone. Police report the boy ended up punching Gregory in the face, knocking him unconscious until officers arrived.
As Pittsburgh's Action News 4 reports (via WTAE ), the family's neighbor Crystal Calloway said, “I believe it's a Hispanic home, you know, and our neighborhood is very diverse.” She also expressed concern about someone impersonating an ICE agent in an attempt to invade the community. It's worth noting, in context, that ICE protests are still ongoing in Minneapolis, Minnesota over the death of Renee Good. It was just two weeks ago, on January 7th, that a 37-year-old American citizen was shot and killed in her neighborhood by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
Calloway also praised the actions of her neighbor's son and his bravery, saying, “It's great that the young man got his adrenaline going and went into action to defend his family. Thank God for that.” William Gregory was charged with ethnic intimidation and burglary and currently remains in the Allegheny County Jail. Police report Gregory was previously wanted for other burglaries as well as being in possession of a firearm when this attempted burglary occurred.
