Pittsburgh, PA (PPP)— A Pittsburgh man on March 18, 2023, after he was caught in possession of multiple firearms and charged with a variety of firearms-related crimes.

According to the police report filed in Magisterial District Court, Heirah Kies Moore-Smith, 24, was first spotted by SiriusXM, who reported that they were tracking a stolen white Jeep Grand Cherokee. After the police were alerted, the Jeep was quickly located, and two black males were seen entering the vehicle. Officers then pursued the vehicle and attempted to make a traffic stop, but the occupants refused to comply.

The chase ended when the Jeep crashed into a parked vehicle, and the two occupants fled the scene, according to the report.

Officers managed to apprehend one of the suspects, who was identified as Moore-Smith, a known member of the Gwalla gang. Upon searching him, the officers found an iPhone, a bank card, and a small baggie containing four pink pills marked with “K 56,” which were identified as Oxycodone Hydrochloride, a controlled substance, the report said.

Officers later discovered a black Glock 19 Gen 5 with a laser/light, a loaded magazine, and an obliterated serial number, along with a stolen Smith and Wesson SD40 VE .40 S&W firearm with a loaded magazine. In addition, a bag containing several boxes and loose rounds of 9mm ammunition was found in the Jeep, noted the report.

Moore-Smith was charged with multiple felonies and misdemeanors, including possession of stolen property, possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number, and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence. He was also charged with drug possession, resisting arrest, and evading arrest or detention on foot, according to the report.

Name: Heirah Kies Moore-Smith
Gender: Male
Age: 24

Agency: Pittsburgh Police Department

Court: Magisterial District Court 05-0-03
Docket Number: MJ-05003-CR-0001521-2023
Date Filed: March 18, 2023

Bail: $10,000 monetary
Confinement: Allegheny County Jail
Confinement Reason: Unable to post bail. Note: bail was posted on March 19 by Liberty Bail Bonds

Criminal Charges

1. Persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms (Felony 1)
2. Persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms (Felony 1)
3. Receiving stolen property (Felony 2)
4. Possession of firearm with altered manufacturer’s number (Felony 2)
5. Carrying firearm without a license (Felony 3)
6. Carrying firearm without a license (Felony 3)
7. Persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms (Misdemeanor 1)
8. Persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms (Misdemeanor 1)
9. Tampering with or fabricating physical evidence (Misdemeanor 2)
10. Resisting arrest (Misdemeanor 2)
11. Evading arrest or detention on foot (Misdemeanor 2)
12. Prohibited acts – Possession of a controlled substance (Misdemeanor)
13. Prohibited acts (Misdemeanor)

Affidavit of Probable Cause
On 03/17/2023 at 2326hrs I, Officer Brendan Orris #4814 Unit 3535 and Officer Jacob Noonan #4659 Unit 3521, were dispatched to the area of ██████████████ for a report from SiriusXM that they were tracking a stolen white Jeep Grand Cherokee (PA ███████). Shortly after reporting the vehicle was located near ██████████████, SiriusXM relayed to dispatch the Jeep was moving near the intersection of Hamilton Ave and East Liberty Blvd. Officers then responded to this area looking for the stolen vehicle. Then at approximately 2335hrs SiriusXM updated the location of the Jeep to the area of 77 Auburn Street.

Officer Noonan responded to the area of 77 Auburn Street and located the Jeep parked in a parking lot of 213 Auburn Street. Shortly after finding the vehicle Officer Noonan saw two black males enter the Jeep and turn on the vehicle. I then drove in my fully marked patrol vehicle from Larimer Avenue onto Auburn Street towards the location where the Jeep was located. While turning onto Auburn Street, I observed the white Jeep turn onto Auburn Street from the parking lot and approach my location. I activated my emergency lights to attempt a traffic stop on the Jeep from the front. Due to the quickness in which the Jeep was approaching my location accompanied by my wide turn onto Auburn Street, I was unable to provide an adequate avenue of escape for the Jeep.

The vehicle rolled to as low stop in front of me while I exited my patrol vehicle. I placed the occupants at gun point while illuminating the passenger compartment with my gun light, I observed two black males in the front seat of the Jeep. The driver had medium length dreads and the passenger was skinny with short hair wearing a black coat. Once the occupants saw I had a clear view of them illuminated with my gun light, both looked down and away in an attempt to hide their identities. I then yelled twice to the occupants of the vehicle to exit.

Once the Jeep stopped and the driver was looking down and away from my view as he placed the vehicle in reverse. Officer Noonan was approaching the Jeep from behind at this time. Officer Zachary Young #4841 and Officer Neil Young #4815 Unit 3513, came into the area on Indiana Way stopping their patrol vehicle near the intersection of Indiana Way/Auburn Street. The Jeep then reversed in the direction of Officer Noonan which resulted in him stopping his patrol vehicle near the front of 81 Auburn Street. Officer Noonan stopped his patrol vehicle on Auburn Street activating his sirens. Officer Noonan parked his Police vehicle on Auburn Street with enough room for the jeep to pass between him and the parked vehicles. The Jeep continued in reverse to try to go through the space between Officer Noonan’s vehicle and a parked Dodge Caravan (PA ███████).

tDFGH

The Jeep then struck the front passenger side of Officer Noonan’s patrol vehicle with the Jeep’s rear end while it was traveling in reverse. This caused the Jeep to raise up on two wheels to the point of almost flipping onto its side. While in the process of nearly flipping, the Jeep struck the side of the Caravan. The Jeep came back down onto all four wheels and continued in its reverse momentum striking into the vehicle parked behind the Caravan, a Dodge Dart (PA ███████). Once striking the Dart the Jeep then came to a stop.

Once stopped, the driver of the Jeep exited through the driver’s door and the passenger exited through the passenger door. Both occupants started to run west towards the parking lot of 213 Auburn Street when I lost site of them. I then ran towards the direction of where the occupants ran. I found the passenger, wearing the same black coat I observed him in, laying on the ground between the curb and the wheels of the Dart. I placed the passenger at gun point while illuminating him with my gun light. The male had his right arm completely obscured from my vision underneath the Dart while he was laying near the passenger side rear tire. I instructed the male to show me his hands which he did not initially comply with. I then grabbed the male by his left hand and pulled him into the grassy area near the curb. I was able to then place a knee pin on his upper left shoulder area while placing him into handcuffs. Once I observed the male’s face I immediately recognized him as Heirah Kies Moore-Smith, I knew Moore-Smith had an active warrant for his arrest.

Officer Z. Young, Officer N. Young, and Officer Noonan pursued on foot the black male driver of the vehicle behind 213 Auburn Street towards East Liberty Blvd. Officer Noonan stated over the radio the male had dread locks, black sweat pants, and a green jacket. Officer N. Young observed the male cross East Liberty Blvd and attempt to enter the door of ███ East Liberty Blvd. The male was unable to enter the door which resulted in him running North and then West around the North corner of ███ East Liberty Blvd. This is where Officers lost sight of the male running.

K9 Officer Brada and handler Officer Jeffrey Watenpool #4235 arrived on scene to attempt to track the male who fled. Officer Watenpool was able to pick up a track to the area of ███ East Liberty Blvd. The track was then lost near the intersection of Centre Avenue and Kalida Drive.

Officer Noonan and I searched Moore-Smith incident to arrest resulting seizing an iPhone, bank card to Moore-Smith, and as mall plastic baggie containing four small pink pills. The pills were marked with “K 56” which I searched for on pill identifier. The results were said to be Oxycodone Hydrochloride which is a schedule 2 controlled substance under the Controlled Substance Act. These pills will be sent to the crime lab for testing,

Officer Abbondanza located a black Glock 19 Gen 5 with a laser/light with a loaded magazine under the Dart. The location of the Glock 19 was within arms reach of where I observed Moore-Smith reaching his arm under the Dart when taking him into custody. The Glock 19 serial number is completely scratched off/obliterated. Officer Abbondanza stated the barrel of the Glock was facing in the direction towards Larimer Ave and the handle was facing towards the curb. The Glock had fresh scratches on the left side of the firearm. These scratches are consistent with the attempt to slide the firearm under the vehicle to conceal it from Officers’ observations. Officer Abbondanza secured the firearm ejecting a round from the chamber and removing a fully loaded magazine. Officer Abbondanza performed a field functions test to which it appeared fully operable. Due to the obliterated serial number on Glock 19 it was unable to be ran through NCIC to check if it was stolen. The Glock will be sent to the crime lab where it will be tested in order to try to observe the serial number through different methods.

Officer Noonan was able to see a firearm in plain view on the center console of the Jeep. Officer Joshua Wentz #4774 secured the firearm observing no rounds in the chamber and loaded magazine. This firearm is a black/silver Smith and Wesson SD40 VE .40 S&W (S/N FZS9990). Officer Abbondanza performed a field functions test on the firearm which appeared fully operable. The firearm was ran through NCIC which came back to be stolen out of Zone 5. Officer Abbondanza attempted to make contact with the owner of the firearm with negative results. The phone number listed for the owner was no longer in service.

Officer Z. Young seized a bag which contained several boxes and loose rounds of 9mm ammunition behind the passenger seat of the Jeep. Officer Wentz seized a blue BLU cell phone from on the drivers seat of the vehicle. Officer Abbondanza located two loose 9mm rounds under the passenger seat. The loose rounds were found directly underneath of where Moore-Smith was seated in the Jeep. The Glock 19 recovered from Moore-Smith is also chambered in 9mm.

I will be obtaining search warrants for the phone found on Moore-Smith and the phone found on the drivers seat. Moore-Smith is a known Gwalla gang member who I know to have posted on open source media with firearms in the past. In my experience gang members often take photos of themselves with firearms with there cell phones. I will be obtaining a search warrant or Moore-Smith’s phone in order to further connect him to the gun found where he was taken into custody. I will be obtaining a search warrant for the phone on the drivers seat in order to attempt to identify the driver of the vehicle.

Moore-Smith was arrested on 03/12/2018 for F1 Burglary where he pled guilty under OTN: G800157-1. This felony conviction is an enumerated offense under 6105 felons not to carry firearms. This also makes it impossible for him to acquire a concealed weapons permit.

Officers made contact with the constables in charge of the Cornerstone Village housing development. SGT Duncan stated he would be obtaining a video footage of the incident. Officers will attempt to identify the driver of the vehicle through video footage.

The Jeep was stolen out of Washington County. Officers were able to make contact with the owner ███████ who gave verbal consent for Officers to process the vehicle.

Mcgann and Chester arrived on scene and towed the disabled Police vehicle as well as the stolen Jeep. The Jeep was taken to PBP auto squad where it will be processed for fingerprints by the PBP crime scene unit.

Moore-Smith’s arrest warrant was issued by Wilkinsburg Police Department. This arrest clears OTN: R901903-2.