Verona high-rise evacuated after police say man intentionally set off sprinklers

Authorities evacuated a seven-story senior high rise in Verona on Thursday night after police said a man intentionally set off sprinklers inside the building.

The incident, reported just after 6 p.m., displaced nearly 60 residents of A.J. Demor Towers, according to Verona police Chief Tom Dessell.

Dessell said the displaced residents were taken by Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses to the Verona fire station as authorities worked to make temporary housing arrangements for those who needed a place to stay. No injuries were reported.

Dessell said a man living on the seventh floor set off a sprinkler in his apartment and an adjacent apartment. Water rushed out into the hallway, reaching as high as a foot there, and caused damage elsewhere in the building.

Police took the man, who they did not identify, into custody and intend to file criminal charges against him, Dessell said. The chief said the charges include criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, causing or risking a catastrophe and tampering with a fire system.

Dessell said the man has tampered with the building’s sprinkler system on at least one other occasion.

A.J. Demor Towers is managed by Glenshaw Gardens Inc.