Century III Mall: 5 Arrested, Accused Of Causing Extensive Damage

WEST MIFFLIN, PA — Two adults and three minors have been charged with extensively damaging what remains of Century III Mall.

Aaron Anthony of Beaver Falls and Angel-Mariah Schulz of Pittsburgh were the adults arrested, but all five have been charged with offenses that include burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief.

Century III opened in 1979 and arguably was western Pennsylvania's busiest mall during its 1980s heyday. Its decline was gradual, but the gradual loss of anchors such as Macy's and Sears had a snowball effect and prompted many other businesses to exit.

The mall's interior closed in 2019 and its last anchor store, J.C.Penney, departed in 2020. Today, it's a haven of graffiti-covered plywood that covers its former entrances. The vast parking lots are eerily empty. The roads that form a circle around the former retail complex are pothole-strewn.

West Mifflin police advise that even though the mall is dormant, it is a privately owned property and anyone trespassing inside will be prosecuted.

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