PITTSBURGH — A park dedicated to a Pittsburgh police officer killed in the line of duty was vandalized Thursday night.
Graffiti was spray-painted on several walls of the officer Paul Scuillo Memorial Park.
Scuillo and two other officers, Eric Kelly and Stephen Mayhle, were shot and killed by Richard Poplawski in Stanton Heights three years ago.
Poplawski was sentenced to death last year for the officers' murders.
Police said four people were cited for drinking and loitering near the park Thursday night. Investigators said they also found spray paint in one of the suspect’s backpacks.
There is no word on if they'll face vandalism charges. Their names have not been released.
“We’ll get through this like everything else. These can all be fixed,” Sciullo’s mother, Julia Sciullo, said. “The worst has already been done to us. Between Paul, Eric and Steven, nothing worse can happen.”
City Councilman Patrick Dowd said after the marathon is over Sunday, there will be a large effort to clean the park.
“We’re thinking about how anyone can stoop so low to do stuff like that,” Sciullo’s father, Paul Sciullo Sr., said.
Neighbors said vandalism and graffiti are an ongoing problem in the area.
Bloomfield resident Ron Nese, who works across the street from the field, called it a dog park, despite signs that say “No dogs.”
“I try to keep the area clean before each game so they have a nice environment,” Nese said.
Nese told Channel 11’s Lori Houy that he coaches baseball at the field, grew up in Bloomfield and lived by Officer Sciullo.
“I just think of him and this field he used to play in, and it’s tough to talk about. He wouldn’t like it now,” Nese said.
Officers said they have now increased patrols in the area.