Armored Car Guard Shoots Partner, Takes off With $2.3M

A man accused of shooting his partner and stealing $2.3 million from the armored vehicle they were driving on Tuesday is still at large.

“Investigators said an arrest warrant has been issued for Kenneth Konias Jr., 22, of Dravosburg,” WPXI.com reports, “Konias is wanted in connection with the shooting death of Michael Haines, 31, of East McKeesport, and with stealing $2.3 million from the Garda Cash Logistics vehicle.”

Police say they found Haines' body in the back of the armored vehicle, which was idling under a bridge in Pittsburghs’ Strip District Tuesday afternoon.

Left to right: Kenneth Konias Jr. & Michael Haines

“This is a premeditated murder,” Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen Zappala said. “Our belief is that he planned to rob the company and if he had to kill the guard then he planned to do that. He shot the guy from close range in the back of the head to accomplish the robbery. That’s pretty cold.”

Konias allegedly called a friend after the murder and said, "I [expletive] up. My life is over," according to the criminal complaint.

"What? Did you kill someone?" the friend asked.

"Yes," Konias answered, adding that he had enough cash to live on for the rest of his life. Apparently, Konias also asked his friend about extradition laws in both Canada and Mexico.

“The criminal complaint also stated that Konias called his mother after the incident and stopped by his Dravosburg home,” WPXI.com reports, “leaving behind a coat with what detectives said appeared to be blood splatter on the front.”

It’s suspected that Konias is armed with two semi-automatic handguns as well as his murdered partners’ gun. He is driving a champagne colored Ford Explorer with Pennsylvania license plate number GZW-4572, according to WPXI.com.

“He’s armed and very dangerous,” Pittsburgh Police Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki said.

Garda is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to Konias' arrest. Police have also ruled out the possibility that Haines was in on the heist and that somehow things got out of hand.

"All the evidence indicates the deceased is a straight-arrow type of guy. Everything is black and white," Zappala said.

Indeed, Haines was well liked and loved by his family.

"I want Mike to be remembered more as the genuine person that he is, and not just a man that was shot in the back of a car," said longtime friend Darin DiNapoli, who began crying as he spoke, according to WTAE Pittsburgh.  "I think that's the one thing ... I don't want him to just be a statistic, because he's a very inspirational person and a really good friend."

(Front page photo source: Andrew Russell, Tribune-Review)