City officials brace for more landslides
property damage was in Duquesne Heights, where a slide collapsed a house Pittsburgh officials are Sunday on Greenleaf watching about 15 landslideStreet. Debris spilled ontoprone areas as soggy Route 51 near the West End weather again approaches Circle. Ramps to the thoroughfare the region, promising were still closed more downpours Thursday Wednesday, as was Greenleaf after record rainfalls Street, while contractors in February. worked round-theclock
“We know we’re going to clear some 11,000 to get rain and snow again cubic yards of soil from the this week, and the hillsides area. It is uncertain when still have not stabilized,” Route 51 will reopen. Mayor Bill Peduto said Nearby businesses in Wednesday. “We’re expecting the West End remain open to have more landslides despite detours, city leaders late this week, as well.” said in a statement.
While the city didn’t disclose Free parking there is available all the areas under through March 7. watch, they include locations The heaviest rain in the listed in recent landslide region on Thursday is expected alerts, such as Semicir to start about 7 a.m. Street in Perry North. A or 8 a.m., said Alicia Miller, house there was evacuated a meteorologist at the National after a landslide Tuesday. Weather Service office
It’s among a dozen Pittsburgh in Moon. residences menaced “We have just about an by slides over the past couple inch of rain in the forecast of weeks, according to through Thursday night, the city. Mr. Peduto said then transitioning over to the hazards have forced 17 snow showers,” she said. people from their The precipitation homes. City workers are shouldn’t be enough to collaborating with them cause any river flooding, and community groups to Ms. Miller said. But any future line up support, he said. floods could get an extra
City departments tallied set of eyes from city perhaps $2 million in expenses hall: Mr. Peduto said Wednesday contending with that the city just ordered landslides over the weekend, its first two drones Mr. Peduto said. His for public-safety use. They administration is exploring should be helpful in a variety whether state resources of emergencies, he said. could help cover “There’s a balancing act such costs. Within a week between having that technology or two, he said, geotechnical and additional public assessments should safety vs. privacy help establish what likely rights,” Mr. Peduto said. caused each slide. “You have to balance
The heaviest immediate both.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
On Monday, the investigation led police to Mr. Pariser’s home at 103 Penfield Place. Swissvale police and Allegheny County police detectives — who’d been asked to help with the missing person case — went to the home to look for Mr. Van Dyke and saw his car parked outside.
Police forced their way into the home through a rear basement door, and as they came up out of the basement they saw a male figure “striking matches and tossing them onto the floor,” the complaint said.
An “instant blaze” was ignited, police wrote in the document, and officers fled the home.
From outside, they could see a man looking out a window from the second floor, according to the complaint.
A neighbor, Derek Rochna, 27, said he saw a police officer pointing his gun toward the house Monday as a man passed into and then out of view in a second-floor window. “Officers kept telling him to jump,” Mr. Rochna said.
Firefighters arrived on scene after a short time and placed a ladder under the window.
The man, later identified as Smith, climbed down and was immediately handcuffed by officers, Mr. Rochna said. Smith was taken to UPMC Mercy hospital in critical condition for smokeinhalation.
Police found Mr. Pariser’s body on Monday after the fire was brought under control. He had suffered trauma to the back of his head and bruises were found on his chest and torso, police said. His death was ruled a homicide and the cause was blunt force trauma to the head, according to the Allegheny County medical examiner.
Then on Tuesday, while continuing to process the scene, police found Mr. Van Dyke’s body, according to the complaint. The body had been hidden under the wooden staircase, covered with rags, clothing and plastic garbage bags. He, too, had suffered trauma to the back of his head. John Van Dyke’s brother declined to commentfor this story.
Smith confessed to the slayings at the hospital on Tuesday, according to the criminal complaint. He told officers he would cooperate because his “life was over.”
According to the police affidavit, Smith had been living with Mr. Pariser, whom he had known for about 30 years, “on and off for about three years” and considered hima “good friend.”
He said that on Feb. 21, he had gotten into an argument over marijuana with Mr. Pariser and Mr. Pariser’s friend, Mr. Van Dyke. He said he was being beaten up andhe “fought back.”
He said he threw both men down the stairs then banged their “heads off the steps and basement floor.” He then said he covered their bodies with “blankets and bags.”
He told police that he later wanted to kill himself