PETERS TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Two Bethel Park YouTubers are facing felony charges after “pranks” that police say were targeting elderly people.
Andrew Janidlo and Dennis Meyers are accused of illegally recording incidents in two Peters Township neighborhoods for their YouTube channel.
“What they’re doing is wrong and it’s not funny, especially when they are preying on a senior citizen who is a widow and alone,” said Rich Allwes, a neighbor who called police.
The two men and at least one other man covered their vehicle’s license plate and sprayed a lawn, one man dressed in HAZMAT gear.
According to police, the men told the 81-year-old homeowner that unless she paid them thousands of dollars her shrubbery and flowers would die. Neighbors say the men then blocked her from going back into her home, frightening her, and causing her to shout for help.
“The two men were there and one of them were blocking her from getting back into her house. And she was just scared and they were demanding $3,000 from her,” Allwes said. The one person was wearing a white jumper outfit with goggles. He looked ridiculous.”
“They filmed themselves spraying shrubbery and then try and convince the homeowner they were killing their shrubs,” said Peters Township Police Chief Joseph Glover. “I don’t think any of this was funny. They were recording the people without their knowledge. There was somebody filming from a distance and the person close to them was recording with a hidden device. Pennsylvania takes wiretap laws very seriously. It’s a felony and the penalties are very stiff.”
Andrew’s YouTube channel includes a video from the Anthrocon Convention in Pittsburgh, where he was escorted out and surrounded by police.
He was arraigned on a $10,000 bond, with strict orders not to post any videos. Meyers has a warrant out for his arrest.
Police found more videos after Andrew’s arrest and have given them to other local police departments to investigate. Glover said this is criminal as well as morally disturbing.
“This is an elderly woman, help her instead of making fun of her and causing problems for her. I think it’s terrible,” Glover said.
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