Four McKeesport cruisers torched in ‘attack on police’

ATF is offering a $5,000 reward for anyone with information on the incident.

Four McKeesport police vehicles were set on fire early Wednesday morning in a parking lot next to the police station.

Officials said it was an act of arson, and Mayor Michael Cherepko told our news partners at WTAE it was “obviously an attack on police.”

The mayor’s office said two marked and two unmarked cars were burned. The vehicles were used as backups on an as-needed basis.

“Oh, I get woke up at 3:12 in the morning that four police cars are on fire in your lower lot. My heart sunk to my stomach. I’ve never had that call before,” police Chief Mark Steele told WTAE.

Cherepko is happy nobody was injured in the blaze.

“And one thing we are very grateful for is that, you know, there were no injuries,” he said.

Cherepko said the city is very fortunate to work alongside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and its arson department.

“I will also say that we’re very grateful that the ATF has secured a $5,000 reward for anyone that has informa- tion in leading to the prosecution of these culprits,” Cherepko said.

Anyone with information may call the McKeesport police department at 412675-5015.

“All I can say is, in our backyard like this, it’s very heartbreaking,” Steele said. “And I got all hands on deck on this situation here. All the hands I got with the ATF and the fire marshal doing a great job. And every detective I have on our department’s working cameras and everything in the neighborhood to see what we can figure out here.”