North Side man charged with threatening residents

A 74-year-old North Side man has been charged with sending threatening and racist messages to residents of an apartment complex where he lived and worked.

Pittsburgh police say James Esper, a former resident of the North Side’s Arbors West Park Court, sent 11 expletive-filled voicemails to apartment manager Margaret Blannon, calling her derogatory terms, insulting her family and asking her to perform a sex act on him, according to a criminal complaint.

Mr. Esper also sent more than 25 index cards to some of the complex’s residents, the complaint said. The cards’ messages used terms similar to those in the recordings.

Mr. Esper lived in a management unit in the complex from 2008 until April when he was evicted because of the messages.

He worked in the complex’s office until 2015 when he left the position because of physical and mental health issues, according to the complaint.

He began to leave threatening messages at the office shortly afterward, according to the complaint. Police said the messages to Ms. Blannon were recorded on an office phone.

Mr. Esper was charged with eight counts of ethnic intimidation, eight counts of harassment, seven counts of terroristic threats and one count of stalking. He was convicted in 2016 on a harassment charge for notes left at another resident’s apartment, court records show.

Police investigating Troy Hill bank robbery

Pittsburgh police said a woman robbed a Troy Hill bank Friday morning.

The incident occurred about 11:20 a.m. at the WesBanco Bank in the 1700 block of Lowrie Street.

The woman entered the bank and demanded money before she left with an undisclosed amount, police said.

No weapon was seen during the robbery, and no injuries were reported.

Pittsburgh police and the FBI were investigating.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call investigators at 412-3237800.

Liberty Bridge work causes lane restrictions

Lane restrictions will be in place on the Liberty Bridge daily from Saturday through Aug. 5 for construction work, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Friday.

Single-lane restrictions will be in place in both directions on the bridge weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., according to PennDOT. Restrictions will not occur in the same direction simultaneously.

Restrictions also will occur daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. at Second Avenue between Municipal Court Drive and Ross Street and at Arlington Avenue between McArdle Roadway and East Carson Street.

The restrictions form part of the $80.08 million Liberty Bridge rehabilitation project, which is scheduled to wrap up by the end of August.

The Joseph B. Fay Co. is the principal contractor.