Mall Theft + Inaugural Music Of Pittsburgh Convention + Saved Baby

Welcome back, Pittsburgh. Happy Friday!

I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Today you'll find news about these stories and more...

• Women arrested for allegedly stealing perfume worth over $22,900 from Pittsburgh-area mall
• The inaugural Music of Pittsburgh Convention seeks to help local musicians thrive here
• Pittsburgh baby receives life-saving treatment after being diagnosed with RSV, pneumonia

Let's go!

Tropical Rainstorm Nicole. High: 66 Low: 45.

Here are the top stories in Pittsburgh today:

1) Two local women were arrested yesterday after allegedly stealing perfumes worth more than $22,900 from the Ross Park Mall. Stephanie Hopkins, of Pittsburgh, and De Siree Riley, of McKees Rocks, were taken into custody after allegedly taking 73 bottles of perfume from Nordstrom. Ross Township police were called around 7:30 p.m. Thursday for a report of a retail theft. An officer was given a description of the women, who reportedly had a toddler with them, and of the car Hopkins was allegedly driving. According to the complaint, the officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop but Hopkins fled. The officer spoke with the Nordstrom manager, who said the women put 30 bottles of Tom Ford fragrance in shopping bags and left the store. The manager said the same women were in the store Monday, and stole 30 bottles of Tom Ford fragrance and 13 bottles of Sauvage fragrance at that time. Police later found the vehicle allegedly driven by Hopkins parked in the 300 block of Pleasant Ridge Road in Stowe Township. They then located Hopkins and Riley and took them into custody, and recovered the perfume.

(WPXI Pittsburgh)

2) Pittsburgh's rich musical history, giving life to nationally known musicians in recent decades including hip-hop stars Wiz Khalifa and the late Mac Miller, is being fostered by the brand-new Music of Pittsburgh Convention. Singer-songwriter Jessica Bella created the convention with her husband and manager, Ian Robertson. They call it MOPCON, and they said it's open to all styles of music. "It's really just pulling all musicians together and trying to create a community, a learning environment, a sharing environment, that sort of thing," said Robertson. Robertson and Bella have experience organizing music events, including Pleasant Fest, which combines indie music and indie films made in the Pittsburgh area. Many of the events take place at Forge Urban Winery, which includes a fully-equipped stage and video-screening capabilities. MOPCON is a ticketed event. More information is here.

(90.5 WESA)

3) One person is dead and another is headed to the hospital after an apparent home invasion in Pittsburgh's Knoxville neighborhood Thursday afternoon. Following the incident, first responders were called to the scene at a home in the 100 block of Zara Street. A man was pronounced dead inside the home, according to a tweet from Pittsburgh Public Safety. A woman had been taken to the hospital in stable condition after suffering significant facial injuries. A Pittsburgh Police spokesperson reported that the house appeared "ransacked." There was also evidence that the man died from stab wounds. Police say the woman was not stabbed, but her facial injuries were extensive enough to prevent her from being able to communicate to detectives.

(WTAE Pittsburgh)

4) UPMC Children's Hospital has seen a recent surge in RSV among children—including in the case of 8-week-old Amy Rogers, a baby girl who has proven to be quite the fighter after she was diagnosed with both RSV and pneumonia. She is on a treatment plan now, but at one point, her mom did not know if Amy was going to recover. Rogers and her family are from Pittsburgh, but now live in West Virginia. Her daughter was having a hard time breathing, it was very labored, and the coloring in her face completely changed. Her lips were turning blue. She was not really moving and whimpering. Doctors told Rogers that her baby girl needed to be airlifted to a hospital — but the issue was finding a room. A bed opened up at the Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh. Rogers feels lucky her daughter got the care and treatment she desperately needed. She says her baby girl may get discharged from the hospital today or tomorrow.

(WPXI Pittsburgh)

5) A $100,000 Powerball ticket was sold in Allegheny County. Lottery officials said Thursday that the winning ticket was sold at the Fueland along Noblestown Road. The store will get a $500 bonus for selling the winning ticket. The ticket matched four of the five white balls drawn Wednesday night — 7-14-24-30-56 — and the red Powerball 7 to win $100,000. Without the $1 Power Play option, officials said the ticket would have been worth $50,000. The Power Play multiplier drawn was two.

(WTAE Pittsburgh)

Today in Pittsburgh:

• Veterans Day Open House: Celebrating America's Post 9/11 Defenders (6:00 PM)
• HS Evening Theatre Company Production (7:30 PM)
• A Bronx Tale: One Man Show Starring Chazz Palminteri (7:30 PM)
• Sports & Social Steel City (9:30 PM)
• Dueling Pianos (9:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Children's Museum of Pittsburgh: "We are excited to announce that our workshops will be kicking off this Saturday! 📢 This fall and winter, kids in Grades K-11 can explore different art, making and STEM subjects, every Sat. and Sun. Here's what's right around the corner ..." (Children's Museum of Pittsburgh via Facebook)
• PPG: "In honor of Veterans Day, Remembrance Day and Armistice Day, we offer our thanks to those who have served." (PPG via Facebook)
• Friends of the Riverfront: "Fall on the #ThreeRiversHeritageTrail is always quite a sight to see! 😄🍁" (Friends of the Riverfront via Facebook)
• The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: "BLACK ON BLACK LOVE by BOOM Concepts is currently on display at 820 Gallery through Jan. 8, 2023. Explore the multidisciplinary work of nine artists as they examine different expressions of Black love. Free and open to the public Weds-Sunday." (The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust via Facebook)
• Carnegie Science Center: "Carnegie Science Center is closed this Sun., Nov. 13." (Carnegie Science Center via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (November 14)
• College Planning and Financial Aid Webinar (November 15)
• A&E Psychic Vincent Sisters: Wine, Crime Stories & Psychic Gallery Reading at South Park Winery (December 8)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday off right. See you all next week for another update!

— Rachel Tasker

About me: Rachel is a native Pennsylvanian with stops in Erie and State College before making Pittsburgh her home in 2020. She's got a background in a little bit of everything... from working in media newsrooms and public health to the 2016 Presidential election in Washington, D.C. and the 2019 Super Bowl where (surprise!) Tom Brady won... AGAIN. She loves good coffee, bad reality T.V., attending local events and trying new food in the 412. She resides in the South Hills.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Pittsburgh Daily? Contact me at pittsburgh@patch.com