Greensburg police investigating Halloween vandals who shot vehicles, house
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Greensburg police are investigating who shot out windows of nine parked vehicles and a house along several streets north of the Westmoreland County Courthouse late Halloween night or early Sunday.
Most of the damage occurred over several blocks in the Academy Hill area, Capt. Shawn Denning said. No one was injured.
“They apparently used a BB or pellet gun and drove around shooting windows out. It appears to be random,” Denning said. “We were able to obtain video from one person’s doorbell ringer already, and it’s being analyzed, but we’re asking anyone with information or who may have their own security video capturing the suspects to contact us.”
Tracie Dietz lives on the 300 block of Walnut Street and said she was playing cards late Halloween night with friends.
“We didn’t hear anything at all. But the next morning, one of my neighbors stopped by to tell me that she hated to be the bearer of bad news, but the rear window of my Honda Pilot had been shot out,” Dietz said.
Dietz temporarily covered the broken window with a tarp. Though she said the damage is covered by her insurance, she noted she will have to use a day off of work Tuesday to get the window replaced.
“It’s going to be a real inconvenience,” Dietz added.
Dietz said later Sunday another neighbor came forward with a security video that appeared to show someone firing shots from “a dark-colored sedan.”
“You could hear the shots here and then all the way down Walnut. At Kenneth Street, you could hear them firing three more shots really clear, and that’s quite a distance away,” she said.
In addition to Walnut, Denning said similar incidents of vandalism to cars were reported on Clopper Street, Harvey Avenue, Ken Lane, Long View, North Main and O’Hara streets. One vehicle and one house window were reported damaged along North Pennsylvania Avenue, according to police.
“We didn’t get the first report until 7:30 a.m. Sunday, and they kept coming in the rest of the day when people got up and noticed the damage,” Denning said.
Meanwhile, Denning said police have received several tips which they are pursuing and additional video trying to locate a suspect who fired multiple shots from a firearm in a separate incident 10:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the area of Grove Street and Spring Avenue.
Police released a video of the suspect fleeing the scene and Denning said officers are pursuing several tips and information received in in that case. No one was injured in the Oct. 23 case either.
Anyone with information on any of the shooting incidents is asked to call police at 724-834-3800. Callers may remain anonymous.