Three out-of-state men found their snapshot adventure cut short when they were arrested for trespassing at an abandoned school in Pittsburgh's Knoxville neighborhood. Sean Alvarez, 23, of Kansas, Kai Oritz, 21, of Illinois, and Pearson Phillips, 22, also from Illinois, reportedly made the trip specifically to photograph the inside of the derelict Knoxville Junior High School along Charles Street, according to criminal complaints reported by CBS News Pittsburgh.
Upon notification of a break-in at around 3:45 p.m., law enforcement arrived to find the men unresponsive to their calls, which led to SWAT intervention. The building, owned by the City of Pittsburgh, is marked with no trespassing signs; thus, after the men emerged around 5 p.m., they were promptly taken into custody.
"SWAT was called because the three actors inside of the property were unresponsive to initial calls from officers upon their arrival. Due to the nature of the incident and out of an abundance of caution a SWAT response was warranted," Eliza Durham with Pittsburgh Public Safety explained in statements reported by WTAE.
In the aftermath, officials continued to investigate the scene even as Alvarez confessed their intent was simply to explore various buildings and take photographs, and talking with the police, the three men have been charged with felony criminal trespass and are awaiting arraignment, the timing of which remains unclear for now.
