PITTSBURGH --
Police from Moon Township were surprised by what they found -- a woman and her kids -- when they used a search warrant in connection with a prostitution case that involves a retired Pittsburgh police detective.
Channel 4 Action News' Marcie Cipriani reported that police were looking for evidence in the case against Talib Kevin Ghafoor when they went to an address on Collins Avenue in the East Liberty neighborhood early Thursday morning.
"Right now, she's got her front door and back door smashed in," said Harvey Moore, the father of a woman who lives in that home.
Moore told Channel 4 Action News that the woman and her children -- ages 15, 5 and 4 -- were asleep when a team that included SWAT members and state troopers approached the building and entered through the front and rear doors.
Marcie Cipriani Reports From E. Liberty
"The Pennsylvania State Police surrounded the house, and before they could knock and announce their identity, a person up on the third floor was looking out the window, and they felt their positions were compromised, so they conducted a forced entry into the house," Moon Township Police Chief Leo McCarthy said.
The woman's father said the family has been living there since February and was confused and startled when police arrived.
"She claims that, about a month ago, she switched homes with Mr. Ghafoor," McCarthy told Channel 4 Action News. "In other words, I'll live in your house, you live in my house."
McCarthy said Allegheny County records led police to the home, which he said is still registered to Ghafoor and has not been sold to the woman. He said Ghafoor still had some of his belongings inside, which were seized.
"They didn't do anything wrong. It's just the idea that they broke into the house," Moore said. "She had nothing to do with it. She didn't know what was going on. She had the kids."
Talib Ghafoor
Ghafoor, 55, was arrested March 23 after Moon Township police said he drove a woman to a Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Cherrington Parkway, where the woman allegedly met an undercover officer and agreed on sex for a price. The woman identified herself as Ghafoor's fiancee, police said.
The hotel meeting was arranged in advance by Moon police, who had seen an online advertisement for a woman who called herself Sally and was selling "hot, sizzling, sexy, sensual and seductive fun" for $200. Police believe it was one of several ads that Ghafoor placed.
"We received the IP address for six of those ads, and that IP address -- we went to Verizon -- and that IP address is registered to a Talib Ghafoor of Collins Avenue in the city of Pittsburgh," McCarthy said.
Court records show Ghafoor is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at District Judge Mary Murray's office next week on charges of promoting prostitution and criminal conspiracy.
Ghafoor, a longtime city narcotics detective, resigned in 2008 and filed for retirement after being investigated for having jailhouse conversations with a murder suspect. He was never charged with any crimes.
Police: Ex-Cop In Prostitution Case 'Switched Homes' Prior To Raid
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