Man lit fires near Rivers Casino before tossing firework under cruiser, police say
PITTSBURGH —
A man accused of lighting fires on Pittsburgh’s North Side allegedly tossed a lit firework underneath a police vehicle.
Officials were called to Reedsdale Street Tuesday morning for a suspicious man who was walking around with an open flame.
That man, later identified as Jeffrey Rotunda, was allegedly spotted lighting the side of a trash can on fire by Rivers Casino before leaving the area.
Rotunda is then accused of stopping outside the Downtown Public Safety Center, where he allegedly threw a lit sparkler under a police vehicle.
He was eventually taken into custody on Stanwix Street at Boulevard of the Allies while he was setting fire to a piece of cardboard.
Rotunda is facing multiple charges including arson and criminal mischief. Police say while they were investigating Rotunda, they found traffic cones that had also been burned.