A robbery attempt turned into a tense hostage situation in West Philadelphia early Wednesday. The owners of a take-out restaurant and their child were held captive by three armed robbers.
Philadelphia Police tell NBC10's Terry Ruggles the owners of Hong Heng Chinese Take-Out at 42nd and Ogden Streets, closed the restaurant around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday and were leaving when three men forced them back inside. A neighbor saw it happen and called police.
When officers arrived the store appeared to be closed and the metal security screen was down, said police.
"They were able to hear females crying and screaming from inside. They were able to look through the cracks of the metal grates and they observed what appeared to be individuals in there acting suspiciously, trying to get money, going through some of the items," Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC10.
The SWAT team was called in and surrounded the building. Just before 3 a.m. the hostages, a man and a woman, both 49, and an 11-year-old child were released and escorted to safety by police. The man was injured, police say he had been pistol whipped in the head.
The woman and the child were not injured.
One of the suspects phoned his father, according to police, from inside the restaurant. The father arrived on the scene a short time later and helped negotiators talk the suspects into surrendering peacefully. The hostage situation lasted 2 1/2 hours.
"The hostages said the suspects hid the weapons inside the property," said Chief Inspector Small. "So that's what we're searching for at this point."
Police recovered one of the weapons the suspects allegedly used. Investigators say the suspects threw money all over the building. They are currently searching through the restaurant to recover any missing cash as well as the second weapon allegedly used.
The names of the suspects have not been released. Police say they are in their late teens and early 20s.
