Police seek vandal caught on camera damaging gate to private Westmoreland County community

State police are searching for the person accused of vandalizing the entrance gate to the Palmer Place gated community in Unity Township last Friday afternoon.

The suspect was caught on surveillance video emerging from the woods near the entrance to the neighborhood and spraying the gate's computer system with a silicone adhesive, rendering it inoperable. Now not only is an investigation underway, but one resident is offering a $500 reward for information leading to an arrest.

"It was sprayed into the key locks, which are going to have to be drilled to open this up and the keypad," Palmer Place Homeowners Association vice president Stanley Caraher said, showing KDKA the damage on Wednesday. "The silicone is in there and the whole thing is just destroyed, and it has to be replaced."

Caraher says the damage will cost residents roughly $14,000 to repair.

Until a replacement system is installed, the community's main gate will remain open, eliminating a layer of security many residents have come to rely on.

Caraher says state police have told him they are pursuing leads, but residents are still wondering why someone targeted the neighborhood in the first place.

"They knew what they were doing because how it was systematically sprayed," Caraher said. "Why did this occur? We don't know if this was a preemptive thing or if someone had a grudge against someone. We don't know."

There is a $500 reward leading to the arrest of this individual and anyone with any information on this person is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police in Greensburg at 724-832-3288.