A 13-year-old girl who had been reported missing in Louisiana has been discovered in a basement in Pittsburgh’s Brighton Heights neighborhood. Law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at a residence on Davis Avenue around 7 p.m. on Thursday, where they located the girl concealed in a box covered by a sheet.
The investigation, which initially began in Louisiana, led to the efforts of the U.S. Marshals. They collaborated with local authorities after the girl was reported missing. This investigation revealed that she had been transported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Columbus, Georgia, by 62-year-old Ronald Smith and another unidentified individual before being sent on a bus to Pittsburgh.
Upon arriving in Pittsburgh, the girl was allegedly accompanied by a woman who had offered her assistance at a bus station in Washington, D.C. The woman then took her to the home of 26-year-old Ki-Shawn Crumity, where they all stayed in the same bed in the basement. According to police reports, Crumity had befriended the girl through Snapchat and misled her with promises of being adopted by a trusted adult.
During her time at Crumity’s residence, it is reported that he provided the girl with alcohol and edibles and sexually assaulted her multiple times. The alarming situation came to light when the U.S. Marshals filed a ChildLine report, prompting local police to act swiftly and recover the girl.
Crumity is currently being held in the Allegheny County Jail facing serious charges including trafficking, sexual assault, and corruption of a minor, reflecting the grave nature of the case. The swift actions of law enforcement illustrate a coordinated effort to protect vulnerable youth and highlight the importance of community vigilance in the fight against trafficking and abuse.