Oxford Circle Home Invasion Under Investigation
By Elizabeth Hur
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A home invasion in Philadelphia's normally quiet Oxford Circle neighborhood left some shocked and saddened.
Two armed suspects forced their way into a home in the 2200 block of Friendship Street.
The victim wished to remain anonymous.
According to neighbors, the elderly man just got out of the hospital and may be suffering from heart problems. He needs a cane to get around yet police say the two intruders assaulted the victim before demanding money.
Arlene Lubman, victim's neighbor said, "It's cowardly because they wouldn't even show their face."
Eyewitnesses say the two suspects wore masks and came armed with guns. The victim was home alone at the time but turns out, the
suspects had to run away empty-handed.
Lubman explained, "Because somebody called it in as it was happening."
Police confirm an alert neighbor saw the men breaking into the victim's house through the back door, called 911 and officers arrived within minutes. Police arrested the suspects following a brief chase.
Lubman recalled, "They tried to chuck their guns, we know that, under my neighbor's car but everybody saw exactly what happened."
Dinah Fox, another neighbor added, "I think it's terrible what they did. This is a good neighborhood and I've been here 25 years."
Only Eyewitness News captured video on Friendship Street as detectives spent the afternoon gathering evidence including a large luggage the suspect may have planned to use to transport their loot. It was a scene unfamiliar and unsettling for long time residents.
A woman who only gave her name as Marion said, "In all my years here we've never had any trouble like this before so I'm really shocked and really sorry this happened."
Police say the victim is an elderly Asian male. Neighbors wondered if he was targeted for that reason. Police say their investigation is continuing.
In the meantime, police say they did recover the two guns and the two suspects are facing robbery, burglary and related charges.
