WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. — Despite warnings from police to stay away from the old Century III Mall, people continue to trespass.
Early Wednesday morning, five people were arrested after being caught inside the building.
Channel 11 has learned there were four adults and one juvenile.
Their tour through the dilapidated building was streamed live on Facebook. It shows five people maneuvering through the building, at times using a gun-mounted flashlight.
West Mifflin police were tipped off and tracked them as they were streaming. Because of safety concerns with the gun, officers surrounded the mall. The trespassers were arrested when they came outside and started driving away.
The juvenile was let go.
“Not only did we get the gun, we also got narcotics,” said West Mifflin Police Chief Gregory McCulloch. “Guns, narcotics, trespass. It’s not a good mix.”
Police have arrested over 20 people since the mall closed in 2019, and the building continued to deteriorate.
Demolition of the abandoned building began in late March, when crews knocked down parts of the parking garage.
The demolition comes after years of an ongoing battle in court between the property owners and the borough of West Mifflin.
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