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Suspect Turns Himself In After Attacking Man With Hammer In West Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Philadelphia Police say the suspect who allegedly attacked a man with a hammer in West Philadelphia last week, leaving him with severe head trauma, has turned himself in.

The attack happened on Feb. 20 at 49th and Lancaster Avenue.

According to a witness, he and the victim, a 46-year-old male, were going to the store. The witness said he left the store before the victim to return to their work truck, and he then heard the sound of someone falling to the ground.

The witness told police he thought it was the sound of the victim slipping on ice, so he exited the truck.

That's when the witness said he saw a man standing over the top of the victim holding a hammer. There was reportedly blood at the scene, and the victim was on the ground.

The witness then got a bar from the truck and chased the suspect for approximately two blocks before losing him at Master and Lancaster Avenue.

When the witness returned to the scene, he saw the victim bleeding heavily and unresponsive, so he drove him to Presbyterian Hospital, where he was transferred to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania due to the trauma to his head.

On Sunday, Feb. 23, police returned to the hospital to speak to the victim, who was awake and alert but unable to communicate.

The laceration on the man's head reportedly required surgery and police say he will now have to go through intensive speech therapy in order to verbally communicate again.

Police say 29-year-old Nathanial Maybin, of the 800 block of S 56th Street, turned himself in on Wednesday afternoon. He is facing Attempted Murder and Aggravated Assault charges.

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