A Crafton man beat his parents so severely that he caused brain bleeds and broke one of their skulls before waiting with bloody hands and clothing to be arrested in the backyard of the home they all shared, police said.
Two victims were rushed in critical condition to UPMC Mercy hospital Tuesday morning after the attack, Allegheny County Police said.
Both victims suffered “major head injuries,” according to a criminal complaint in the case. Both also have brain bleeds; one has a fractured skull.
County police did not name the victims but said their son, Michael Provenzano, 36, attacked them, the complaint said.
“Michael did it,” one victim told police, according to the complaint.
The other victim said the same, police said.
“Obviously, he (Michael) did this,” the complaint quoted the second victim as saying.
The home was bought in 1999 by Charles and Susan Provenzano, county real estate records show. A sign bearing the family’s name sat in the home’s front yard on Wednesday.
One of the victims told police they went to Giant Eagle between 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. Tuesday to buy items for their son, the complaint said. The next thing they remember is getting home and “waking up on the ground,” according to police.
Crafton police were dispatched to the Oregon Avenue home at 8:52 a.m. after contractors saw two people inside the home that “looked like they were beaten,” the complaint said.
Provenzano, who listed the Oregon Avenue home as his address in court documents, sat outside the house while the contractor called 911, the complaint said.
First responders found one victim lying on the ground inside an enclosed front porch. The other victim was found lying motionless in the kitchen.
They were the only people inside the home, which was “in disarray,” police said.
Crafton police found Provenzano sitting in a tent in the backyard and took him into custody, the complaint said. He had blood on his hands, pants and both sneakers.
County police charged Provenzano with two counts each of attempted homicide and aggravated assault.
He was awaiting a preliminary hearing on Wednesday afternoon, court records showed. His attorney was not listed.
Crafton police Chief Mark Sumpter on Wednesday declined comment. He deferred questions to county police, which are leading the investigation.
Provenzano was arrested a year ago in an assault.
He was signing in for a mental health evaluation at UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital in Pittsburgh in September 2023 when he attacked a hospital safety officer, according to court documents.
Provenzano was yelling as he punched, bit and scratched the man, police said.
On July 15, he pleaded guilty to simple assault. A judge sentenced him to 12 months of probation.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.