Black man raped woman because she was white

A man was arrested after being accused of raping a woman in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood “because she’s white.”



Public safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said officers determined 47-year-old Lee Harris was inside an apartment in the 5200 block of Gertrude Street in Hazelwood early Saturday morning.



SWAT was called to the scene.



Harris was taken into custody at 2:30 a.m. after being found in the basement.



Toler said Harris refused commands by officers and a K9 was utilized.



According to the criminal complaint, Harris ordered a woman at knife-point into an abandoned building in September.



The victim, who is not being identified since she is a victim of sexual assault, told police she knew Harris from seeing him in the neighborhood before but she never knew his name and didn’t have a relationship with him.



When she walked home, Harris passed her then decided to walk with her.



In the criminal complaint, police state the victim and Harris approached the intersection of Watson and Jumonville streets, and Harris “pulled out a knife from his pocket, put it to her neck and ordered Jane Doe to walk to an abandoned building.”



She complied, fearing he would kill her.



Once inside, “she was forced to go to the second floor where Harris pushed her into a small room.” It’s there he allegedly assaulted, raped and threatened the woman.

When she asked why he was doing it, he told her “because you’re white.”

Harris was arrested on a series of charges including rape, sexual assault and ethnic intimidation.