Group of masked men pistol-whip man, later rob safe in his Northeast Philly home

A group of five men assaulted several people during a robbery spree that spread across at least two locations in Northeast Philadelphia early Friday.

It all began around 1 a.m. on Feb. 23, 2024 when a 41-year-old man was returning to his home along Ditman Street in the Tacony neighborhood when five guys in an SUV "accosted the individual," Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said while revealing details on the incident Friday afternoon.

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The guys in the SUV then drove him to another location where he was assaulted with a gun and "asked to give up the keys to his house" and other information, Vanore said.

The guys then took the SUV back to Ditman Street, Vanore said. Once back at the house, the group of men entered the home and assaulted a 52-year-old woman and 27-year-old man who were inside at the time.

The men then asked the people in the home for specific information about a safe in the home and jewelry that was inside that safe, Vanore said.

Once the group of guys got the jewelry and several thousand dollars in cash, they fled the scene, investigators said.

Vanore didn't reveal the extent of injuries suffered by the victims, outside of saying the initial man who was abducted was pistol-whipped.

The suspects were all masked and wearing dark clothing, but police only had "vague" descriptions of each man.

As is normal protocol, the Special Victims Unit was called in to assist in the investigation since a kidnapping was involved, Vanore said.

Investigators initially said that a second home on Hawthorne Street in the Frankford section was also involved. Vanore on Friday said another location was involved, but he didn't reveal specifics about how.

Police said that there was a language barrier with the victims and that hindered the investigation.

"I don't know if they knew these people," Vanore said Friday. "But right now we don't have anything on a motive here rather than a robbery."