FORD CITY -- Borough founder John B. Ford soon will return to Ford Memorial Park, although probably not in time for Ford City Heritage Days.
Mayor Jeff Pyle said the eight vandals accused of defacing and toppling Ford's statue last November pleaded guilty to criminal mischief charges Thursday before District Justice Sam Goldstrohm. Goldstrohm sat in for Magistrate J. Gary DeComo, who had recused himself from hearing the case.
Each defendant was ordered to pay $785 to repair the 800-pound statue, which was damaged when they rocked the monument until it crashed down. The group also attempted to decapitate the 100-year-old depiction of Ford and pull it into the Allegheny River.
Each suspect also must pay a $300 fine, court costs and serve 80 hours of community service. Pyle said the volunteer work must be performed in the borough and will be designed by Ford City's council.
Those charged were Stephanie Melissa Stitt and Brian Altman of Kittanning; and Ford City residents Ryan Michael Morda, Abe Abranovic, Steve Smolen, Dan Jageman, A.J. Vergari and Ryan Simmons. All were 21 or 22 years old when the crime was committed early on Thanksgiving Day.
The statue has been stored in the borough garage since November.
Pyle said the group was ordered to pay the restitution within one week so the statue can be shipped to the Matthews International foundry on the North Side of Pittsburgh as soon as possible.
Repairs are expected to take four to six weeks, which means Ford won't be back on his pedestal in time for the June 29 start of Heritage Days.
Pyle said the statue of Ford, one of the founders of PPG Industries, was paid for by 3,600 glass workers who donated a day's wages to erect the statue. Ford founded the borough as company town for his riverside glass plant.
