A 45-year-old man, David Smith, wanted by authorities for probation violations in Pennsylvania and Delaware, was arrested yesterday in Pittsburgh after his unplanned descent from an attic hideout. According to CBS News Pittsburgh, Smith was hiding in a residence on Sorento Street when Allegheny County Sheriff's deputies discovered his location.
The incident, which culminated with Smith inadvertently crashing through a ceiling, followed an intensive search after a warrant was issued for his arrest in August 2023. The warrant addressed a probation violation connected to Smith's February 2023 guilty plea on gun and drug charges. Being viewed on a doorbell camera, the arrest showed Smith handcuffed as deputies escorted him to their vehicle, informed by the footage detailed by WPXI.
Upon arriving at the Sorento Street home, detectives were met by a woman who professed ignorance concerning Smith's whereabouts. However, their search led to a second-floor bedroom closet with access to the attic. During this search phase, detectives witnessed a foot punch through the ceiling, only to retreat hastily back into the attic space above. The house, meanwhile, captured the quiet rhythms of life, as a neighbor, who preferred to remain anonymous, expressed her disbelief over the occurrence: "It’s just... I’m just in shock," she said, per WPXI. "Like, what the heck? A fugitive on this street?"
Finally, after detectives demanded Smith to surrender amidst his scramble through the attic, the fugitive fell through the ceiling into an adjacent bedroom with no injury severe enough to necessitate medical care. Smith, whose last known address was in Delaware, was taken into custody without further incident and transported to the Allegheny County Jail.
