Man Found Duct-Taped, Beaten in Parking Lot

No charges yet in connection to the incident

A man was hospitalized after police say he was dropped off in the parking lot of a shopping mall while bound and duct-taped.

It happened Tuesday night at a shopping center on Lehigh and 22nd Street. The victim told police that he was kidnapped and placed in the back of a white van. He then said he was beaten, tied up and left in the parking lot, according to authorities.

The unidentified victim was taken to Temple University Hospital as a trauma patient and treated for head injuries. He was listed in stable condition.

Police found a van that fit the description provided by the victim at 27th and Lehigh. They also say a man and woman were inside the van.

The man was wearing a blood-covered shirt, according to police.

The case was turned over to homicide detectives to investigate whether this incident was connected with a murder that occurred earlier in the day.

Investigators were looking at the possibility that the two suspects are connected to the murder of 46-year-old Julio Hernandez, which occurred Tuesday morning. Hernandez was a known Philadelphia drug dealer, according to police.

Investigators questioned the man and woman about both incidents but the pair was released from custody Wednesday morning, according to cops.

No one was charged as of Wednesday morning.


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