Squirrel Hill man charged with setting fires at Monroeville church, former Wilkins restaurant, connected to 4 others
A Pittsburgh man has been charged with setting a series of fires across Allegheny County over the past three days, including fires that badly damaged a Monroeville church and a former Wilkins restaurant.
David Harknett, 41, of the city’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, was charged with aggravated arson, criminal mischief, receiving stolen property, reckless endangering and several other charges stemming from the fires.
After a series of vehicle fires set Tuesday and Wednesday in Brentwood, Pleasant Hills and Monroeville, firefighters were called to a blaze at 12:32 a.m. Thursday at Christ the Divine Shepherd Church in Monroeville.
Less than three hours later, they responded to a fire at the former Hooters on William Penn Highway in Wilkins.
An employee at a nearby business reported seeing a white male with blue jeans and a black shirt hiding behind a transformer in the Hooters parking lot.
At 4:45 a.m., Harknett was taken into custody and told police he had set the fire, according to a criminal complaint.
Police later determined Harknett was involved with the series of six fires set over the course of about 72 hours. They included both building fires as well as June 11 vehicle fires in Brentwood and Pleasant Hills and June 12 vehicle fires in two Monroeville neighborhoods.
Allegheny County Police are leading the investigation, according to Monroeville police Chief Doug Cole.
“During our conversation with Harknett, he stated that he enjoys watching the fires he sets, and that’s why he was caught watching the fire at the vacant Hooters building,” police wrote in charging documents. Harknett told police fire always has excited him, according to court records.
He also is charged with taking car keys and fuel credit cards from several vehicles at the Jefferson Hills Police Department on Tuesday.
One priest at Christ the Divine Shepherd was treated for smoke inhalation, church officials said. The rectory office building was extensively damaged.
County police took Harknett to the Allegheny County Jail pending arraignment. A court date for a preliminary hearing had not been set.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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