Mischief Night Vandals Strike USC Neighborhood

Dozens of residents along Corteland Drive, Carriage Lane, Edgewood Drive and Kings Lane in Upper St. Clair woke up Halloween morning to find their property vandalized.

They found mailboxes toppled, lamps broken, pumpkins smashed and trees full of toilet paper. Some reported missing decorative flags.

"It's such a shame, it's such a beautiful neighborhood," a resident said.

Residents who spoke to Upper St. Clair Patch wished to remain anonymous because they did not want to become the target of more vandalism.

One resident said he believed the vandalism occurred around 4 a.m. on Halloween, when his spooked dog jumped into his bed with him and his wife. He said he believed it was high school students, who had the day off from school on Halloween, taking part in "mischief night."

"I came from Philly and mischief night was a lot worse there. So I guess we're kind of lucky," he said. "The damage I don't care about so much, it's the lack of respect for property.

"All I want is an 'I’m sorry' and have them look me in the eye when they say it."

Another resident said she felt lucky that she didn't have as much damage as some of the other neighbors had, but she had a difficult time explaining to her five-year-old and three-year-old that the pumpkins they had carved were smashed.

"They were crying. My son instantly burst into tears," she said.

Some residents reported experiencing vandalism on the night of Oct. 30 or early morning of Oct. 31 in previous years. They hope that this article will raise awareness of the incidents and prevent more vandalism in the future.

told residents they were receiving a number of calls this week and were taking names, addresses and phone numbers. They encouraged the callers to tell other neighbors to report their damage as well.

A phone message to Upper St. Clair Police Chief Ronald Pardini from Upper St. Clair Patch was never returned.

The police have not filed any charges regarding the incidents with .

Have you been a "mischief night" vandalism victim? Tell us in the comments.