Shooting suspect surrenders

The elusive Homewood man who Pittsburgh police had been hunting since two men were shot and wounded at a gas station earlier this month surrendered to officers Monday evening.

Orande Shelton, 27, is charged with shooting Keith Jones, 26, of the North Side, and Eugene Ralph, 27, of Larimer, with an assault rifle at a Sunoco gas station on North Negley Avenue, East Liberty.

Shelton surrendered to city homicide detective Tom Foley and Allegheny County homicide detective Regis Kelly at 6 p.m. in the office of his attorney.

Jones and Ralph told police they were sitting in a car at the gas station about 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 5 when a sport utility vehicle pulled in front of them. The men said a man matching Shelton's description jumped out of the SUV and opened fire on them with a military-style assault rifle, police said.

Jones was hit several times and remains in serious condition at UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Oakland. Ralph was hit once in the elbow and has been released from the hospital. Investigators said they found more than 20 bullet holes in Ralph's car.

City homicide detectives spent the past several days combing the communities of Homewood, East Liberty and Brushton, where they say Shelton operates a large drug-selling operation.

Two days after the shooting, officers stationed in the city's East End spotted Shelton. Two squad cars were damaged during the ensuing police pursuit, but the suspect got away.

On Saturday, the city's SWAT team closed off Cora Street in Homewood for more than five hours after police were told Shelton was in a home there.

Officials said the SWAT team was necessary because of the many allegations of violence in Shelton's past.

However, Shelton is believed to have slipped out the back of the house moments before police arrived.

Yesterday, the search led detectives and officers to Hamilton Avenue in Homewood, where they detained an unidentified man investigators believe is involved in the drug trade with Shelton.

Since 1990, Shelton has been arrested on more than 40 charges, including criminal homicide, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, violations of the state's uniform firearm act and drug charges, police said.

Police said Shelton has been arrested six times for intimidating witnesses. Witnesses and victims often refuse to testify against him, said city homicide Detective Patrick Moffat.

Court records were not available yesterday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Police said Shelton has been convicted on a handful of gun and drug charges.

Police suspect Shelton has overseen the selling of crack in the East End for the past decade.

'He's kind of famous on the street,' Moffat said. 'When I came out (to the East End) in '91, he was already a legend.'

David Conti can be reached at dconti@tribweb.com or (412) 320-7840.