More charges for Penn Township double murder suspect's alleged shooting spree
May 21—Police say Victor F. Steban went on a shooting spree across central Westmoreland County hours before he killed two people at a Penn Township home.
Steban, 53, was arraigned on new charges filed Thursday by state police, including multiple counts of attempted homicide, aggravated assault and shooting into occupied structures in connection with shootings at three homes that occurred between 12:13 a.m. and 12:50 a.m. Sunday.
About 20 hours later, police say, Steban went to the Claridge section of Penn Township and gunned down Jacob Erdeljac, 41, and Mara Casale, 27. Police say they don't know why Steban killed the couple but, they say, Steban told them why he went on the earlier shooting spree.
"Steban stated he had gone to the residence of Dennis 'Rooster' Katona with the intention of killing Rooster. Steban stated he knew the location of Katona's bedroom and aimed at same," Trooper James McKenzie wrote in court documents.
Katona, 54, is a former national leader of the Pagans motorcycle gang and spent more than five years in a federal prison for his role in a 2002 brawl with Hell's Angels at the "Hellraiser Ball" in Long Island, N.Y. One person was killed and 10 were hospitalized.
At 12:50 a.m., McKenzie reported, Steban arrived at Katona's Hempfield home and fired at least 18 rounds from an AR-15 rifle. McKenzie said troopers collected multiple empty casings apparently fired from a .223 caliber rifle at the residence.
McKenzie also said Steban showed no remorse for the spree during the interview, especially toward Katona.
"'I'd do it right now if he came into this room,'" McKenzie quoted Steban as referring to killing Katona.
Katona's wife, Sheri, on Wednesday told the Tribune-Review that she does not know why they were targeted.
"We don't know Victor Steban, never met him and have no link to him. We want the public to know we simply do not know this guy," she said.
Sheri Katona said neither she nor her husband knew Erdeljac or Casale, either.
Although state police said Steban was a suspect in the three other shootings Sunday, details were not released until charging paperwork on the cases were filed Thursday.
Katona wasn't home at the time of the shooting and no one was injured. Nor were there any injuries in two other shootings police say Steban committed before going to Katona's house.
McKenzie said the first shooting occurred at 12:10 a.m. along the 300 block of Jackson Street in Sewickley Township, where investigators say Steban targeted a woman he believed caused his breakup with a former girlfriend.
McKenzie said Steban admitted firing "at least nine rounds" from two rifles into a garage. Two men had just left the building prior to the shooting, McKenzie said.
He quoted Steban as telling investigators that he shot the building "to send a message to (the victim) to shut the (expletive) up." McKenzie said Steban complained the "woman was running her mouth" and caused his relationship with another unidentified woman to end.
Next, at 12:13 a.m. at another Sewickley home on Carnegie Road, McKenzie alleges Steban fired at least 12 rounds into a house from the AR-15. According to court documents, Steban told police he also lit a road flare and threw it at the residence "hoping to burn out" the owner.
McKenzie did not reveal why Steban was angry with the homeowner.
Law enforcement officials have not commented on a motive for the Penn Township homicides, although township Police Chief John Otto on Wednesday described Steban's alleged crime spree as "a grudge reconciliation weekend."
Steban's shooting spree early Sunday began after a suspicious fire severely damaged his North Thompson Lane home in North Huntingdon at 11 p.m. Saturday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, but township police charged Steban with multiple weapons violations because firearms were found in his home.
Steban is a convicted felon and it is illegal for him to possess a gun.
At 11:45 a.m. Saturday, an explosive device damaged a 1967 Chrysler Newport on the 1100 block of Clay Pike, also in North Huntingdon. The explosion remains under investigation by township police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Police Chief Robert Rizzo identified Steban as a suspect in the explosion.
On Wednesday, Rizzo confirmed that the vehicle destroyed in the explosion was at the home of William Faloona, another former Westmoreland County Pagans leader.
As he was led into his arraignment Tuesday, Steban said he was disappointed he did not get "Faloona," who testified for the federal government in 2012 against North Huntingdon businessman Jon Scalzitti for operating a drug distribution organization.
District Attorney John Peck would not comment this week on any motorcycle club connection between Steban and Katona or Faloona.
Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@triblive.com or via Twitter .
