Police: Teen Kidnapped, Money And Jewelry Taken In Somerton Home Invasion
By Elizabeth Hur
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The search continues for three suspects wanted in a home invasion and kidnapping in Northeast Philadelphia.
Philadelphia police say a teenager was kidnapped and money and jewelry taken from his home in the Somerton section of the city Wednesday.
A family at the home was reportedly waiting for their 15-year-old son to show up so they could attend a graduation ceremony around 1:30 p.m.
At that time, two men reportedly entered the house on the 10100 block of Ferndale Street, while a third male waited outside in a silver Subaru with tinted windows.
"They called home and my son was on the speaker, going crazy," Christian Garnica recalled. "My son was scared and must have told them everything we have."
Lt. John Stanford added, "They actually grabbed the kid right at the corner. They were both wearing white colored tank tops, dark colored pants and purple latex gloves."
According to police, the family assumed when someone knocked, it was their 15-year-old son. But police say his mother was confronted by two gunmen, who forced their way in, tied the couple up and demanded money.
"There were two inside the house and one waiting in the car with my son and then my son called us from the guy's phone, give them everything, the money, the jewelry, whatever you got," Garnica recalled.
The family complied but the suspects fled with the stolen loot and the teen still in the car.
Garnica said, "As soon as they left, they tied me up and I got untied fast and I grabbed my keys, I followed them, I chased those guys and I almost caught up to them but they got away."
Police say the suspects later dumped the 15-year-old near 23rd and Fairmount, bruised but otherwise unharmed. We're told the suspects got away with $30,000 in cash, jewelry and the home surveillance system.
"Just the simple fact of standing out in 95 degree weather with latex gloves on, they knew what they were here to do," Stanford explained, "They set this up from the very beginning, knew this kid in terms of who they were going to grab and grabbing the kid and knowing exactly which house."
The family says they own several businesses in the area but on their end, they cannot imagine who would target them or why.
