Police: Stolen guns, cocaine found in New Kensington home of convicted felon

A SWAT team helped local and county detectives raid a home in New Ken Manor where, police say, three illegal guns, a half ounce of cocaine and evidence of drug dealing were seized.

Detectives from New Kensington, Arnold and the Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office arrested Demetres Ellis Beck, 28, of the 100 block of Haser Drive. Beck is charged with three counts of illegal possession of a firearm, two counts of receiving stolen property, possession of drugs with the intent to deliver, and endangering the welfare of a child.

According to a criminal complaint, as he was being taken into custody Beck told police, “You’re here for drugs, there is some coke in the kitchen drawer.”

Two baggies with a total of 0.17 grams of suspected powdered cocaine were found in the drawer, police said.

Beck was being detained in the Westmoreland County jail after a judge ruled he is a flight risk. He faces a preliminary hearing Jan. 18 before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr.

The raid began shortly after 6 a.m. on Nov. 2 when police used a PA system to announce they had a search warrant. They broke through the door when nobody answered and arrested Beck, the complaint said.

Police found a 2-year-old child sleeping in a bedroom and called the child’s grandmother to pick them up, the complaint said. Two of the three guns were found in a bin in the living room that the child could easily reach, police said.

One of the guns, a loaded Taurus 9 mm that had a bullet in the chamber ready to fire, was reported stolen out of Canonsburg, police said.

The other gun, a loaded Hi-Point .380-caliber, was reported stolen out of New Kensington, the complaint said.

Police said they also found a Kel Tech 9 mm gun under a pillow in the master bedroom.

Beck is not allowed to posses a gun because he pleaded guilty to two felony counts of robbery and counts of involuntary manslaughter and illegal possession of a firearm in March 2021, according to court records.

He was sentenced to 2½ to five years in prison and three years of probation. The charges were filed by Allegheny County Police in December 2015.

Beck also was convicted of possession of a firearm by a minor, according to investigators.