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Body found inside abandoned McKees Rocks school

McKEES ROCKS, Pa. — A woman’s body was found inside an abandoned school in McKees Rocks.

Based on an anonymous tip, police were called to the Miles Bryant School on Wayne Avenue shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday.

The body of a woman was found on the third floor. The medical examiner identified the victim as Carol Lau, 57, of Pittsburgh. The cause and manner of death are pending additional testing.

Police are investigating the case as a suspicious death.

The school has been closed since 1997, but neighbors told Channel 11's Renee Kaminski that hasn't stopped people from going inside.

“We know there are vagrants that go in and out,” said Claudia Froelich. “There’s kids (who) go in and out. I know people have spent the night over there.”

Neighbors say the building, with its broken windows and crumbling interior, is an eyesore and a dangerous draw for curious kids, drug users and others. They want it torn down.

The McKees Rocks mayor said it’s not a simple task. He told Channel 11 the borough doesn’t own the property. By law, they could tear it down, but they don’t have the money to pay for demolition.