Police say a Vandergrift man chased another man outside a North Side gas station before an alleged baseball bat assault.
PITTSBURGH, PA — Police are seeking a 41-year-old Vandergrift man accused of attacking another man with a baseball bat after an argument that began when the man asked him for a cigarette outside a North Side gas station early Tuesday.
David Rose faces several charges, including aggravated assault, simple assault and disorderly conduct, according to reports citing a criminal complaint. Police were called to the Sunoco gas station on Cedar Avenue at about 3:57 a.m. Oct. 13. Authorities said an arrest warrant has been issued for Rose and, as of Thursday, he had not been taken into custody.
According to the criminal complaint, Josh Mascara approached Rose and asked him for a cigarette. Police said Rose refused and replied, “No, get a job.” An argument followed, and investigators said Mascara then threw rocks in Rose’s direction, striking Rose’s vehicle.
A gas station employee told investigators that Rose chased Mascara through the parking lot and struck him with a baseball bat, according to police paperwork described by local news organizations. Officers later found Mascara lying in the road near the gas station. Mascara told police he had been struck about 20 times.
Mascara was taken to a hospital, where authorities said he was found to have a broken fibula. A doctor told police that his injuries were consistent with being struck by a blunt object. Police have not publicly released additional details about his condition.
Investigators said surveillance footage showed Rose with a baseball bat but did not capture the alleged assault itself. That distinction leaves the reported sequence of the attack dependent in part on witness statements, Mascara’s account and other evidence described in the criminal complaint.
Rose acknowledged chasing Mascara through the parking lot but gave investigators a different account of how Mascara was injured, according to the complaint. Rose told police that Mascara fell in the middle of the road. Authorities nevertheless filed charges based on the evidence gathered in the investigation. The allegations against Rose have not been proven in court.
The confrontation began with a request for a cigarette but escalated after the verbal exchange and the rocks thrown at Rose’s vehicle, according to investigators. Police have not announced any charge against Mascara in connection with the rocks, and available reports do not indicate whether the vehicle sustained significant damage.
Authorities were continuing to seek Rose as of Thursday. No arraignment or other court proceeding had been announced in the latest available reporting, and police had not released further information about when he might be taken into custody.
Author note: Last updated October 15, 2026.