Man charged in crime spree that spanned several communities

PITTSBURGH — A man is in jail facing charges for a crime spree which hit numerous communities within hours on Sunday.

Derek Deleon Brown is accused of stealing a cell phone, luggage and vehicles, hitting pedestrians and crashing into a building, and is facing dozens of charges.

The spree began at a Domino’s Pizza, where police say Brown stole a cellphone. He then crashed a vehicle into another vehicle along Hot Metal Bridge and 2nd Avenue.

When the driver of the other vehicle got out, police said Brown hit that person with his vehicle and then got inside the other vehicle and drove off.

He then allegedly jumped a curb and hit a pedestrian on Bates Street, police said, dragging the pedestrian for a short distance.

Police said he then targeted another vehicle on Hazelwood Avenue, following too closely, and that vehicle then crashed after swerving off the road. Brown then allegedly turned around and drove toward the victims, hitting one of them with the car, before the driver of the second vehicle shot at Brown.

Brown then drove to a Speedway, where he nearly hit a man who was sitting on a curb, and then crashed into the building.

“Out of nowhere I see this bright light flashing, I look up and the Nissan truck approached me fast and aggressively it speeds up and it stops,” Jeff Covert said. “...runs up in the car and pins my leg and book bag against the wall. I was shocked. I thought this was a personal vendetta but then come to find out after police got there they told me this wasn’t the first incident. I was actually more worried about who else could get in this guys way.”

After all that, police then responded to a crash on I-376 near the Forest Hills exit. Brown flagged down another vehicle and ended up stealing that one as well.

The Good Samaritan Courtney Kish said she was just trying to help.

“I see this young man running across the highway, just moving his arms. Trying to get somebody’s attention, trying to get somebody to stop,” she said. “I get out of the car and I’m like, ‘is everybody okay? Is anybody hurt?’ And he’s saying ‘she needs help, she needs help’ talking about the girl in the middle car. So I run over.”

Little did Kish know, he allegedly caused the crash.

She said one of the victims, a woman, reported she could not feel or move her arms or legs. Kish said she ran back to her car to get her phone to call 911, and Brown took off in her vehicle.

After trying to flag down multiple vehicles, a nurse stopped.

“I just wish people valued human life more,” Kish said.

Kish’s car ended up at the Red Roof Inn in Monroeville where police said the spree came to an end after Brown stole someone’s luggage. He was found in one of the hotel rooms and was arrested.