Gateway Center hostage rattled, but unharmed

After nearly six hours as a hostage, a visibly shaken Charles W. Breitsman said nothing as he walked into Pittsburgh police headquarters.

The benefits company he founded in 2007, C.W. Breitsman Associates, became the stage Friday morning for the armed standoff that scrambled traffic and bewildered Downtown workers. Breitsman, 58, of Ligonier was spotted hugging a woman outside the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh upon his release from the firm's offices in Three Gateway Center.

Officers walked Breitsman and suspect Klein Michael Thaxton separately into police headquarters on Western Avenue in the North Side. Breitsman appears to have left within two hours and did not speak with reporters.

He declined to comment when he and his wife, Randy, a Ligonier Valley Middle School teacher, returned to their home later in the day. Another member of the family, Sara Breitsman, lists herself online as a company employee.

Charles Breitsman appears as president and CEO of the group, a third-party benefit administrator. Such firms are retained by large corporations to handle enrollment, billing, eligibility and accounting for their health insurance plans and other employee benefits programs, such as pensions.

Licensed by the state Insurance Department, Breitsman Associates appears in good standing, according to department records. Its administrative services include health-plan management, claims processing, group billing and data management, according to its website.

Adam Smeltz is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-380-5676 or asmeltz@tribweb.com. Staff writers Joe Napsha, Alex Nixon and John Schisler contributed to this report.