This week’s thwarted bomb plot in Pittsburgh and the arrest of a suspect have prompted state police in Indiana to issue a reminder that they continue to conduct security visits to churches and houses of worship throughout Indiana County. Since May 1st, state troopers from the Indiana barracks have made at least 175 visits.
They also point out that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security FEMA website offers a resource for protecting houses of worship, www.fema,gov/faith-resources.
Last week, police announced that the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is offering a reward of $8,000 and PA Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for eight suspicious fires in northern Indiana County, going back as far as last August. One of those fires was a confirmed arson at the Harmony Grove Lutheran Church in Washington Township on February 26th.
Anyone with information on the fires or on individuals who may have been involved is urged to contact the ATF 24/7 hotline at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), or the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-4-PA-TIPS.
