Man charged for allegedly raping and leaving a woman in a South Side parking lot, police say

Pittsburgh police are looking for a man accused of raping a woman and leaving her in a South Side parking lot earlier this month on Aug. 8th. 

The man accused is Larry Pappy Johnson, and police say that, along with allegedly raping her, he stole her belongings on S. 14th St.

According to court documents, the victim told police she went out to Capo's on the South Side to have a good night. Her next memory was waking up in the hospital, with no recollection of what happened, and her phone, wallet, watch, keys, and purse were missing.

"It's obviously very disturbing to think you could just walk right off the corner, because it's a very busy area," said Chelsea Hubert, who lives close to the scene.

Police say officers found the victim naked and intoxicated in this parking lot on S. 14th St. and told her a man had dragged her, and they were worried something had happened, leading to her being taken to the hospital.

"It's obviously really scary to hear that. I live in this building, and it happened right here. So, knowing that happens on your front door isn't the most reassuring thing to hear," said Erick Fenk, who lives next door.

After she was released, the woman returned to her car and used her Find My app to track her missing belongings. 

Police say that led them to a home on Excelsior Street in Allentown, where Johnson had personally given the victim her items back, along with his phone number. Investigators say that number helped identify Larry Pappy Johnson, and they worked backward through the night.

According to the criminal complaint, surveillance played a key part in identifying Johnson. Through camera footage, investigators say Johnson is seen "picking 'Jane Doe' up from the waist and carrying her limp body to a corner of the parking lot." 

Following the assault, police say Johnson is seen walking away while the victim was "naked and motionless on the ground," and that he was wearing her yellow purse around his neck. However, when the victim's items were returned, the purse was not there, and he told her it would look suspicious if a man had a purse.

Larry Pappy Johnson is facing several charges, including rape, sexual assault, robbery, harassment, and more.