Pittsburgh man arrested with $300K in luxury watches was wanted for playground shooting

A fugitive wanted for a September shooting at a Pittsburgh playground was arrested more than 200 miles away — with $300,000 worth of counterfeit watches in a rental car’s trunk, authorities said.

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper said he arrested Kaheem Sturdivant, 24, of Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood around 2:30 p.m. Oct. 8 during a traffic stop on Interstate 78 in central Pennsylvania.

Sturdivant was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Thursday in municipal court in Pittsburgh on an attempted homicide charge in connection with the playground shooting. That hearing was postponed until Nov. 12.

He also faces trial in Lebanon County on charges of trademark counterfeiting, flight to avoid apprehension and drug possession.

Earlier this month, Trooper Eric Dreisbach pulled over a black Chevrolet Malibu in which Sturdivant was a passenger after he clocked the sedan at 78 mph westbound on the highway near Harrisburg, according to a criminal complaint.

The highway’s posted speed limit in that area is 65 mph. Police stopped the vehicle in Swatara Township, Lebanon County.

The trooper found 42 counterfeit luxury watches mimicking luxury brands such as Rolex and Cartier in the trunk of the Chevy, along with a vacuum-sealed bag packed with one pound of marijuana, the complaint said.

A backpack on the car floor near where Sturdivant was sitting was stuffed with $6,900 in cash, the complaint said.

The Chevy’s driver and two passengers said the vehicle was a rental but could not provide a rental agreement, the complaint said. Police said the car smelled strongly of marijuana.

Police have not named the driver or the second passenger.

Authorities later took Sturdivant to Pittsburgh, where police had put out an arrest warrant for him for a Sept. 25 robbery and shooting at a playground in the city’s Lawrenceville neighborhood, the complaint said.

Police said Sturdivant fired several shots at a man after stealing $6,000 from him around 11:20 p.m. at the 57th Street Park Playground.

The victim told police he had been shot five times in the back, shoulder and neck, the complaint said.

He required surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his neck. A second victim, who did not appear to be injured, drove the man to Allegheny General Hospital.

Police have not named either of the victims.

Officers found at least a dozen spent bullet casings and a Glock magazine with seven live rounds at the scene, the complaint said.

An eyewitness to the shooting later pointed to Sturdivant in a photo array, the complaint said. The eyewitness told police Sturdivant was “1000%” the gunman.

A license plate reader spotted a 2015 Buick registered to Sturdivant traveling that night on Butler Street, about 1½ miles from the shooting, the complaint said.

Sturdivant entered the Allegheny County Jail on Monday, court records show. A judge denied him bail the same day.

Court records available online Thursday indicated Sturdivant had a public defender, but the office referred questions to Ashley Cagle, a private attorney they said was handling the case.

Cagle did not return phone calls Thursday seeking comment.