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Police investigate home invasion, robbery in Old City

Published  August 17, 2018 10:10pm EDT
U.S.
FOX 29 Philadelphia

OLD CITY (WTXF) - Police are investigating a home invasion, robbery that happened in Old City.

It's a quiet, cobblestone street in the north end of Old City, but Thursday night it turned into the terrifying scene of a home invasion, robbery for a 70-year-old resident who was tied up and robbed at gunpoint in his own home.

"One of the individuals produced a firearm, forced the homeowner down, demanded money and valuables from him," Philadelphia Police Captain Sekou Kinebrew told FOX 29 Friday.

"Terrifying, I don't really know what I would do. I was out here last night, I guess prior to when everything occurred," neighbor Maryann Marinella told FOX 29.

Neighbors saw all the police cars arrive in the 400 block of North Front street just before midnight not knowing the details of what happened until Friday morning.

"Definitely, makes me feel a little bit more nervous living around here--not something you like to hear," said another neighbor.

Detectives say two masked men and a woman entered the home and tied the 70-year-old man up, ransacked the place, demanding money. He quickly offered up the $500 in cash in his pockets, but the armed home invaders wanted more.

"They directly said to him something to the effect of 'If you don't give us more money we're gonna shot you,'" Captain Kinebrew explained.

The man then opened a safe. The suspects got away with over $10,000 in cash and a diamond and gold ring worth another $15,000. They took credit and ATM cards and fled.

"We're trying to determine right now whether it was targeted, random. We want everyone alert to it," the captain added.

Police searched for surveillance video of the robbers near the three story rowhome. This is the second big home invasion robbery in 8 days. Last Wednesday, bandits driving a tricked out Cadillac stole two safes in a South Philly home invasion making off with over $2 million in cash and jewelry.

READ MORE: Police: Cadillac used in high-end home invasion, robbery

"We're not sure if they're related in any way, but we have concerns about both," Kinebrew explained..

The victim was not seriously injured. Mo word on any of the other items taken from the house or what role the woman suspect had in this violent home invasion.