Windows Smashed, ‘A Lot Of Damage’ In Shadyside Protest

Pittsburgh police are trying to identify a group of about 30 people who donned masks and ran through Shadyside on Friday night, smashing the windows of more than a half-dozen businesses and an unknown number of automobiles.

There were no injuries in the vandalism spree that began shortly after 8:40 p.m., when police first spotted the group, marching peacefully near Liberty Avenue and Baum Boulevard in Bloomfield, holding candles and telling officers they were holding a funeral procession for a friend, city Public Safety Department spokeswoman Sonya Toler said.

A few minutes later, there was chaos a few blocks away as the group turned onto Walnut Street and marched past the shops and restaurants filled with patrons.

“I saw a group of nine or 10 guys. I couldn’t see their faces because they all were wearing hoodies,” said Miranda Leanos, 18, a waitress at the Thai Place Restaurant.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/8149253-74/group-windows-police#ixzz3X0VEOheR
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Graffiti Artists Foul Ground Near Point State Park Fowl

A map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with its neighborhoods labeled. For use primarily in the list of Pittsburgh neighborhoods. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Pittsburgh police this morning arrested a man for spray-painting graffiti near the giant rubber duck currently floating in the Allegheny River at Point State Park.

The 40-foot-tall rubber duck, which arrived in Pittsburgh last week, was not damaged.

A security guard stationed to monitor the floating faux water fowl told police he thought he heard a spray can hit the ground and then saw two people spraying on the sidewalk, according to a news release from police spokeswoman Diane Richard.

Both people ran, but police later caught Ryan Sigesmund, 34, whose address they did not know.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/grafitti-artists-foul-ground-near-near-point-state-park-fowl-705820/#ixzz2gckkdtcL

Vandals Strike Gravesite Of Former Pennsylvania Governor

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Crawford County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  Is there something in the water?  People are just going off the rails lately!

Something puzzling has happened in Meadville, a community 90 miles north of Pittsburgh.

The gravesite of former Gov. Raymond Shafer was desecrated last month, its monument defaced, the grave dug down to the vault and messages written in spray paint on the exterior of a nearby church, cursing the late governor in French.

State police in Meadville have no suspects and no leads.  And the family of the late governor, who led Pennsylvania from 1967 to 1971 and who died in 2006, has no idea what prompted the vandalism.

“We do know that it’s probably not somebody who did it on the spur of the moment,” said the late governor’s daughter Diane Shafer Domnick, who lives in Meadville and teaches at the University of Pittsburgh in Titusville.  “People had to be ready to do the damage that they did.”

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/region/vandals-strike-gravesite-of-former-pa-governor-666864/#ixzz2FSwTZStA

Man Charged In Attack On Three Women In Clay Township

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Lancaster County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A 22-year-old man has been charged with torturing three elderly women in an act of “rage” against the Mennonite faith Friday at a Clay Township home, police said.

Dereck Taylor Holt allegedly used a stun gun-like device on the women, ages 84 to 90, and punched them, according to Northern Lancaster County Regional police. He then bound their hands and feet with tape, covered their faces and ransacked the house, investigators said.

Investigators allege Holt terrorized the women for at least two hours, during which time he indicated he previously had been a member of the Mennonite community and has anger for its members since he left the faith, officials said.

During the assault, he read various Bible passages and then vandalized the women’s Bible, police said.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/793669_Man-charged-in-attack-on-three-women-in-Clay-Township.html#ixzz2FKQHfwGW

Verizon Offers Up To $50,000 Reward In Reading Vandalism Case

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Verizon is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of people who vandalized the phone company’s copper telephone cables that run under the Bingaman Street Bridge.

Two recent incidents put public safety at risk for hundreds of customers in the Reading area and caused unnecessary telephone service outages, said Lee J. Gierczynski, Verizon spokesman.

Gierczynski said cables that run under the bridge were vandalized on Sept. 16 and on Tuesday.

The vandalism, which police suspect is being committed by copper thieves, caused a loss of phone service in some areas of south Reading and Kenhorst.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=417676

Those Crazy Copper Thieves Are Back!

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Maybe the gang in Fayette County has moved east in their quest for more copper?  A Lebanon County cell tower was vandalized and six copper plates valued at $75 each were stolen.  The tower is fenced in and thieves cut the lock to gain entrance.  The tower is shared by Verizon, T-Mobile, Nextel and AT&T.  And we wonder why prices keep going up!  The total damage estimate was $3,000!

Anyone with information is asked to call the Cornwall police at (717) 274-2071.

CPR Leader’s Home Vandalized – Our Community Should Be Outraged!

A disgraceful and despicable act of cowardly vandalism took place in our community this weekend.  Community Activist and Citizens For Pottstown’s Revitalization leader Katy Jackson’s home was vandalized as a neighbor allegedly watched and did absolutely nothing.  A giant S was spray-painted on her door for starters but the damage did not stop there.

This type of retaliatory violence cannot be tolerated!  Our police department and borough council should be outraged.  No expense should be spared until those responsible are brought to justice. No citizen in this community should be allowed to be intimidated for speaking up at Borough Council meetings about the serious problems facing Pottstown i.e. slumlords and drug dealers for starters.

If Pottstown is to be revitalized, ALL 22,859 people who call this town home are accountable and responsible to do their part to make this a reality.  Otherwise, we might as well bomb it, plow it under, plant corn and call it a day.  If ALL the citizens of this community can not feel safe or be protected properly then we have a serious problem.  Regardless of what neighborhood someone lives in, they are paying taxes for police protection.  If that means authorizing additional patrols and resources being deployed in certain areas of Pottstown, then so be it.  I am not bashing our police department as I feel they normally do an excellent job but if they need more manpower etc… find a way to get it!

HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT TO ATTRACT MIDDLE CLASS TAXPAYERS AND EMPLOYERS TO POTTSTOWN IF THIS CRAP IS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN?????  We already have a bad reputation and this just reinforces all the junk that is floating around out there like this being “little Philadelphia”.

All the forward momentum that is being made is for nothing if people are afraid to live and work here!  It is all about people’s perceptions and do not think for one moment that is not the case.