Pittsburgh Police today said they have been unable to substantiate the account of a man who said he was carjacked before he was shot twice and critically wounded last night.

The unidentified 54-year-old Pittsburgh man, who was shot in the head and chest, is in critical but stable condition at Allegheny General Hospital, police spokeswoman Diane Richard said. The man told police he was abducted and forced to drive in his red Chevrolet Cobalt before he was shot around 9:15 p.m. behind an ESB Bank branch at 1060 Freeport Road, near the Waterworks Mall in Pittsburgh.

Police found the man across the street at a GetGo convenience store at 1081 Freeport Road in neighboring O'Hara. A short time later, police found his car nearby in the parking lot of the Waterworks Mall.

But robbery detectives have found inconsistencies in the man's account, and the circumstances under which he said the shooting occurred are "questionable," Ms. Richard said today.

"The police cannot confirm or substantiate the victim's claims," she said in a statement.

Officers found a silver .357 Magnum revolver and a bloodstained jacket while searching in the area, Ms. Richard said. They also have retrieved surveillance tapes from businesses in the area and are reviewing them, she said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 412-323-7151.