A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to 40-80 years in prison for a pair of brutal robberies targeting female tourists last August inside a Marriott Hotel in the heart of center city.

KYW’s Tony Hanson reports that Judge Rayford Means indicated the maximum prison sentence was the only way to protect the public from this repeat offender.

Prosecutor Vince Regan says 29-year-old defendant Anthony Thomas surprised one victim at the Convention Center hotel who was visiting from California with a knock at the door.

When she opened the door, Thomas threw her to the floor, threatened to kill her, then robbed her.

According to Regan, Thomas followed the second victim, from Alabama, to her room and attacked her with a knife:

“As soon as she put her key in the door, that’s when he pushed her in. The butter knife he had was actually taken off one of the room service carts he was passing, and when she turned to scream he shoved the knife into her mouth, cutting the back of her throat.”

Neither victim returned to Philadelphia for today’s sentencing, but in letters to the court they said they are still traumatized, suffering anxiety and insomnia, and pleaded with the court to impose a long sentence.

(File photo)