04-06-2011, 09:25 AM
Police search garage of missing girl's boyfriend
Judge refuses to increase bond for boyfriend of missing Mount Washington woman
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
By Jonathan D. Silver and Torsten Ove, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
As police scoured Alexander P. Lorenzi's garage in Esplen last week for signs of his girlfriend, they found shell casings, her pink tote and a sheet with a possible blood stain, according to a search warrant made public Tuesday.
Neither police nor prosecutors would say what they believe those items have to do with Alivia Kail, 19, of Mount Washington, who has been missing for more than a month.
But they tried unsuccessfully to argue before a judge Tuesday afternoon that the investigation, as well as fear that Mr. Lorenzi might flee, was reason enough to boost his bond on an unrelated drug case.
Ms. Kail was last seen March 4 as she packed to go to Florida with Mr. Lorenzi, who returned to Pittsburgh alone March 16. Three days later, Ms. Kail's family reported her missing.
Police executed at least three search warrants between March 30 and April 1 as they sought information about Ms. Kail.
They searched Mr. Lorenzi's Oregon Street residence and found marijuana, cocaine and a stolen gun.
Narcotics detectives returned with a second warrant for a more thorough search of the house and a pickup truck in the garage belonging to Mr. Lorenzi's father's company, Raymond Paul Lorenzi Excavating.
An affidavit for the truck indicates police found a shell casing from a .22-caliber pistol on the floor near the vehicle and two 9 mm casings inside a Shop-Vac. They also took a jewelry box with earrings, a Feb. 27 plane ticket to Fort Myers, Fla., and an airline gate pass for the same day.
In addition, according to testimony Tuesday before Allegheny Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey A. Manning, police seized a .22-caliber pistol, reported stolen from a home in Bethel Park, as well as a 9 mm pistol and what Allegheny County Detective Daniel Mayer described as an assault weapon.
"He's allowed to possess guns and firearms. The Second Amendment allows him to do that," said Mr. Lorenzi's attorney, Douglas Sughrue.
Inside the pickup, Detective Mayer said police found a cooler of food, the tote bag belonging to Ms. Kail and neatly folded clothing.
On Tuesday morning, District Judge Nathan Firestone ordered Mr. Lorenzi held for trial on drug and stolen-property charges at a preliminary hearing in City Court
Judge Firestone reduced Mr. Lorenzi's bond to $100,000 from $250,000 after Mr. Sughrue argued that the higher amount was punitive.
The district attorney's office objected, prompting a bail hearing before Judge Manning.
R. Bruce Linsenmayer, an assistant district attorney, argued for a higher bond because he said Mr. Lorenzi is a flight risk.
"You can't argue to me that we should hold him because he's a suspect" in the woman's disappearance, the judge countered.
Mr. Linsenmayer then said Mr. Lorenzi is a risk to flee because he's charged with serious drug offenses and police tracked his cell phone to Florida from March 9 to March 15.
A bail agency official also testified that Mr. Lorenzi, while never being convicted of a crime, has been arrested eight times and has failed to appear for court proceedings seven times.
Judge Manning ruled that the $100,000 bond was sufficient but ordered that Mr. Lorenzi be placed on electronic monitoring and restricted to Allegheny County should he make bond.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11096/1137268-53.stm