Robbers took a safe, a gun and a classic car from an elderly widower’s Northeast Philadelphia home overnight. And, police said the victim may have been set up.
The attack inside the Korean War veteran's home on Chapelcroft Street in the Bustleton neighborhood early Wednesday left Pete Labuda, 88, with some scrapes, police said.
Labuda told reporters outside his home of 40 years Wednesday morning that he feared for his life during the attack.
"I thought they were gonna kill me in there," Labuda said.
Police responded around 3:30 a.m. after Labuda managed to free himself. Investigators say the ordeal began when Labuda's acquaintance who ran errands for him greeted him at the door around 3 a.m.
"He knew a female that was at the door and he was kind of surprised by her visit that early in the morning," Philadelphia Police Lieutenant Dennis Rosenbaum said.
When Labuda answered the door, two men armed with guns pushed him into the home and tied his wrists and ankles to a kitchen chair, using tape as well as a phone cord, police said.
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"They had guns and handcuffed me," Labuda said. "Threw me on the floor. I couldn't get up."
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Labuda had his gun on him when he answered the door but didn't have time to draw it.
Once the man was tied up, the robbers took the gun and a safe that contained the victim's dead wife's jewelry and between $25,000 to $30,000 dollars worth of cash, police said. The burglars then went to the garage and took the man’s mint-condition classic car.
"It's a 1985 Fleetwood Chrome Cadillac, it's baby blue in color and it has a dark blue vinyl top," Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said. "It also has spoked hubcaps."
The car turned up later Wednesday on Emerald Street in Port Richmond.
"They set up a surveillance on the car," Rosenbaum said. "Shortly thereafter a male was caught going into the car. They saw him come from a house. Myself and other detectives arrived on location. We tried to knock on that door. A male tried to flee from that house."
Police took two men from the house into custody. They are considered persons of interest. Labuda said he didn't recognize the men however.
"It happened so fast and with his age they kind of overtook him so fast," Rosenbaum said.
Police searched the Emerald Street home Wednesday night.
Investigators are now searching for the woman who initially greeted Labuda at the door. They believe she could have been involved in the robbery.
"He may have been setup," Small said.
Labuda's neighbor Abdul Maaf described him as a watchful eye in the community who is always quick to share a story.
"He's an older man and they took advantage of that," Maaf said. "He served for our country and I thank him for that. He always tells me his war stories. He always tells me about how he grew up here."
Later Wednesday, the Veterans group Warriors' Watch Riders organized a large show of support outside Labuda's home. Residents greeted Labuda at his door and showed their appreciation.
"What happened today should never happen to any veteran or anybody," Bob Crawford, one of the organizers, said. "He's overwhelmed seeing everybody out here."
