Police Seek Man Who Severely Beat Elderly Landlord With Wine Bottle In North Philly
By Al Novack, Nicole Brewer, Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Police are seeking a Hunting Park man in connection with the beating of his 77-year-old landlord early Friday morning.
The incident was reported around 1:30 a.m. when neighbors began hearing loud noises from the home next door in the 700 block of West Butler Street.
Michelle Joy, who lives next door, says she called police:
"I just heard the bangings and that's what made us get up and go see what was wrong and we found him over there messed up."
Police say officers arriving on the scene found the elderly landlord conscious, but severely beaten with deep gashes, cuts and bruises to his head, mouth, eyes and arms. He was rushed to Temple University Hospital where he's in critical, but stable condition.
The victim was beaten so badly he could barely speak, but he was able to tell investigators that a 33-year-old male tenant, who he rents a second floor backroom to, beat him with a heavy glass wine bottle during an argument and then left the scene.
"It is unknown what motivated this assault, however, based on the crime scene inside, it is a very, very violent crime scene," says Chief Inspector Scott Small. "There is a lot of blood on the second floor, on the stairway leading to the first floor, on the furniture, on the first floor, there is broken glass to the front door, there is some broken pieces of wood inside."
Police say they are looking for 32-year-old Danny Daneil Diaz, of West Butler Street, who has been identified as a "person of interest." He is described as a Hispanic male, about 5'7" and 185 lbs and is known to frequent the 200 block of E Indiana Street. Anyone with information is asked to call 215-686-3243.
