PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia police are urging anyone with information on the beating of an 83-year-old man inside his Hunting Park home on New Year’s Eve to come forward.
Detectives are scouring the neighborhood along Fairhill and Luzerne streets, searching for video and talking with neighbors after Mauricio Gesmundo Sr. was robbed and found gagged, tied up and beaten inside his home.
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“I know it was two black safes taken out of the house. You figure it was small enough for individuals to take out of the house,” noted Lt. Robert Brockenbrough from the East Detective Division. An undisclosed “large sum” was taken.
Police don’t know how many people they’re looking for. He said there was no forced entry into the home, so the house was potentially targeted.
“When this happened, did they ransack the whole house or did they just target this one specific area because they knew they were looking for something specific?” he questioned. “This was an isolated incident, so please take precautions in going in your house or answering your door. But this doesn’t appear to be a pattern at this time.”
Gesmundo’s family said he remains in the hospital with serious brain bleeding, fading in and out of consciousness. They called the ordeal “inhumane.”
Gesmundo was retired and living with his daughter and son-in-law, who found him when they returned home around 3 a.m. New Year’s Day.
“That could have been my parent, and I would want something done too,” Brockenbrough added. “To that effect, we are asking for anyone in the community who knows anything to please contact 215-686-TIPS for any information.”