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Uber driver Christi Spicuzza, a mother of four, was found shot to death Feb. 12, 2022, in Monroeville. Dashcam video of a fare she took Feb. 10 revealed a passenger holding a gun to her head.
The trial of the man accused of the
murder starts Feb. 3.
Here is what police say happened
that night.
Christina Spicuzza — Christi to her family and friends — had been driving for Uber for about a year in February 2022, and she usually drove four or five nights a week. On Feb. 10, she used Uber’s “vehicle marketplace,” a program that allows drivers whose cars don’t meet Uber’s specifications to use a rented vehicle instead, to secure a dark gray Nissan Sentra sedan that night.
Before she started work, she told her longtime fiancé, Brandon, that she’d spent her last few dollars at Steel City Vapors.
She left her home in Monroeville and drove toward her first fare’s pickup location at 201 Brinton Ave. in Pitcairn — a steep section of residential street, between Pitcairn Park and a narrow alley called Kay Street.
The ride, per the request she had gotten through the Uber drivers’ app, was for Tanaya. The drop-off was in the 8500 block of Dersam Street in Penn Hills — about a 9-mile drive. The navigation app she was using would have taken her along Broadway Boulevard and onto the Tri-Boro Expressway.
She pulled up to the Brinton Avenue address.
“For Tanaya?” she asked as the rider, who appeared to be a man dressed in all black or otherwise dark clothing, got into the car. He didn’t answer.
She pulled up to the Brinton Avenue address.
“For Tanaya?” she asked as the rider, who appeared to be a man dressed in all black or otherwise dark clothing, got into the car. He didn’t answer.
For 20 minutes, the ride was uneventful and perhaps awkwardly silent, as the man in the backseat ignored Christi’s attempts to make friendly conversation. The only sounds were the din of the road noise and the GPS calling out directions.
For 20 minutes, the ride was uneventful and perhaps awkwardly silent, as the man in the backseat ignored Christi’s attempts to make friendly conversation. The only sounds were the din of the road noise and the GPS calling out directions.
As she neared the 8500 block of Dersam Street, the cellphone announced: “Drop off Tanaya.” The trip should have ended.
“Which side?” she asked, pointing to her right. The rider didn’t respond.
“Right here? Up there?”
Behind her, the man adjusted his face mask and leaned forward.
“Keep driving,” he said.
Christi must have thought she misunderstood: “I’m sorry?” she said.
He pressed a gun to the back of her head.
“Keep driving,” he said.
For a few seconds, she was incredulous. She reached up with her right hand and touched the gun.
“You’ve got to be joking,” she said.
“This is a gun,” the man replied, gripping her ponytail with his left hand and keeping the gun trained on her head with the right. “Keep driving.”
For the next minute, she begged.
“I have a family.”
“I’m begging you.”
“I have four kids.”
As she neared the 8500 block of Dersam Street, the cellphone announced: “Drop off Tanaya.” The trip should have ended.
“Which side?” she asked, pointing to her right. The rider didn’t respond.
“Right here? Up there?”
Behind her, the man adjusted his face mask and leaned forward.
“Keep driving,” he said.
Christi must have thought she misunderstood: “I’m sorry?” she said.
He pressed a gun to the back of her head.
“Keep driving,” he said.
For a few seconds, she was incredulous. She reached up with her right hand and touched the gun.
“You’ve got to be joking,” she said.
“This is a gun,” the man replied, gripping her ponytail with his left hand and keeping the gun trained on her head with the right. “Keep driving.”
For the next minute, she begged.
“I have a family.”
“I’m begging you.”
“I have four kids.”
The man with the gun told Christi to “complete the trip,” likely a reference to marking the drive as finished in the Uber app. She told him she couldn’t do that.
He let go of Christi’s ponytail and took the gun in his left hand.
“Do what I say, and everything will be all right,” he said.
He leaned forward to toss her cellphone into the backseat before pulling down the dashcam. The video ended.
The man with the gun told Christi to “complete the trip,” likely a reference to marking the drive as finished in the Uber app. She told him she couldn’t do that.
He let go of Christi’s ponytail and took the gun in his left hand.
“Do what I say, and everything will be all right,” he said.
He leaned forward to toss her cellphone into the backseat before pulling down the dashcam. The video ended.
WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS DISTURBING CONTENT.
Over the course of two minutes, Christi’s phone moved along Wallace Avenue in Wilkinsburg. During that time, the person using the phone accessed apps for Dollar Bank, PayPal, SquareUp Cash, and Venmo — all money-transfer apps.
A license plate reader on the Tri-Boro Expressway at Monroeville Avenue picked up the gray Nissan about 5 miles from Wallace Avenue.
WARNING: THIS VIDEO CONTAINS DISTURBING CONTENT.
Over the course of two minutes, Christi’s phone moved along Wallace Avenue in Wilkinsburg. During that time, the person using the phone accessed apps for Dollar Bank, PayPal, SquareUp Cash, and Venmo — all money-transfer apps.
A license plate reader on the Tri-Boro Expressway at Monroeville Avenue picked up the gray Nissan about 5 miles from Wallace Avenue.
Christi’s phone pings near the 500 block of Rosecrest Drive in Monroeville, a wooded stretch of roadway that leads out of a residential plot south of the Monroeville Mall. Just before 10:21 p.m., her phone disconnects from the Nissan’s Bluetooth, as though it was taken out of the car or the car was shut off. At 10:24 p.m., the phone reconnected to the Nissan’s Bluetooth and moved back down Rosecrest Drive. Three minutes later, the phone was put into airplane mode.
Christi’s phone pings near the 500 block of Rosecrest Drive in Monroeville, a wooded stretch of roadway that leads out of a residential plot south of the Monroeville Mall. Just before 10:21 p.m., her phone disconnects from the Nissan’s Bluetooth, as though it was taken out of the car or the car was shut off. At 10:24 p.m., the phone reconnected to the Nissan’s Bluetooth and moved back down Rosecrest Drive. Three minutes later, the phone was put into airplane mode.
Although the phone was in airplane mode, it kept recording its location. Over the next few minutes, it moved on Wall Avenue through Pitcairn to Brinton Avenue, Broadway Boulevard and Mosside Boulevard. It was disconnected from the Nissan’s Bluetooth at 10:34 p.m., seconds before a license plate reader captured the car headed west on Route 30 near Route 48. The phone kept moving on Route 30 toward the George Westinghouse Bridge. Two more license plate readers captured images of the Nissan along the way.
The phone stopped moving.
A pedestrian would find the pink iPhone along the railroad tracks below the Tri-Boro Expressway the next day.
Although the phone was in airplane mode, it kept recording its location. Over the next few minutes, it moved on Wall Avenue through Pitcairn to Brinton Avenue, Broadway Boulevard and Mosside Boulevard. It was disconnected from the Nissan’s Bluetooth at 10:34 p.m., seconds before a license plate reader captured the car headed west on Route 30 near Route 48. The phone kept moving on Route 30 toward the George Westinghouse Bridge. Two more license plate readers captured images of the Nissan along the way.
The phone stopped moving.
A pedestrian would find the pink iPhone along the railroad tracks below the Tri-Boro Expressway the next day.
A vehicle matching the description of the Nissan turns from Main Street in East Pittsburgh onto Howard Street. The vehicle parks.
A single figure gets out of the driver’s seat and walks along a fence to the 400 block of Howard Street.
A figure leaves the house, gets into the car and drives away.
A vehicle matching the description of the Nissan turns from Main Street in East Pittsburgh onto Howard Street. The vehicle parks.
A single figure gets out of the driver’s seat and walks along a fence to the 400 block of Howard Street.
A figure leaves the house, gets into the car and drives away.
A license plate reader captures the Nissan headed east on the Tri-Boro Expressway at Monroeville Avenue.
A license plate reader captures the Nissan headed east on the Tri-Boro Expressway at Monroeville Avenue.
A car matching the Nissan’s description circles the block for about a minute near a house in the 500 block of Fourth Street in Pitcairn. Lights flicker in front of that address about 12:19 a.m.
Sometime that day, Christi’s fiancé reports her missing to police.
Pitcairn police spot the gray Nissan along Fourth Street sometime that morning. It was locked with no keys inside. Christi’s dashcam and cellphone were missing.
A car matching the Nissan’s description circles the block for about a minute near a house in the 500 block of Fourth Street in Pitcairn. Lights flicker in front of that address about 12:19 a.m.
Sometime that day, Christi’s fiancé reports her missing to police.
Pitcairn police spot the gray Nissan along Fourth Street sometime that morning. It was locked with no keys inside. Christi’s dashcam and cellphone were missing.
Christi’s body was discovered in a wooded area about 50 feet off of Rosecrest Drive in Monroeville. A small creek and row of brush separated her body from the road.
Christi’s body was discovered in a wooded area about 50 feet off of Rosecrest Drive in Monroeville. A small creek and row of brush separated her body from the road.
Post-Gazette Staff
Ed Yozwick
Laura Malt Schneiderman
Map routes depicted are estimated based on cellphone locations and license plate reader detections detailed in the police criminal complaint filed on Feb. 17, 2022.
All information comes from the criminal complaint, the dashcam video released by police and a since-dismissed federal lawsuit filed by Christi’s family.
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