Man charged after fire breaks out at Pleasant Hills high-rise
PLEASANT HILLS, Pa. (KDKA) — One person is facing charges after a fire broke out at a high-rise apartment building in Pleasant Hills on Tuesday.
The two-alarm fire broke out around 8 a.m. at Southpointe Towers on Cerasi Drive in a vacant apartment, and Kristopher Friedman is facing a list of charges, including burglary, receiving stolen property and arson endangering property.
"Our officers went up to the third floor," Pleasant Hills Police Chief Brian Finnerty said. "It was confirmed there was smoke in the building and they started evacuating residents and there was a fire in one of the apartments."
Police said Friedman burglarized a vacant apartment and set it on fire. He was detained at the scene for public intoxication, police said.
One person was taken to the hospital for breathing trouble, authorities at the scene said. Seventy-five people were evacuated while others were told to shelter in place.