A Philadelphia man told police he escaped after being held hostage by his four roommates, who beat him and tattooed racial slurs and sexual images on his body. All four suspects were arrested and charged after the man alerted the police on Tuesday, KYW-TV reported.
The man, who has not been identified, said he was held against his will inside the basement of the Brighton Street home that he shared with the suspects. The 52-year-old victim said the attack began on Sunday March 30 and lasted until Tuesday April 1, KYW-TV reported.
During that time the roommates assaulted him, and three of them tattooed at least a dozen racial insults and obscene images all along the lower half of his arms.
The suspects arrested are 20-year-old Corry Campbell, Jennifer Pratt, 29, David Thomas, 27, and 19-year-old Sandra Ng.
The victim said he was able to escape and call 911 when his roommates fell asleep that Tuesday morning. His hands were swollen and covered with bruises, and there were more bruises on his eyes, torso and legs, KYW-TV reported. The victim received treatment at Aria Health Torresdale Hospital.
Before the arrest, police said the alleged attackers seem to all be "individuals that he knows, associates of the complainant," Philadelphia Police Lieutenant John Stanford told KYW-TV. "So this is not like this is a random incident."
Police issued a search warrant for the home and found 155 grams of marijuana, several bottles of tattoo ink, tattoo needles and gun, KYW-TV reported.
The suspects were charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and kidnapping, among other charges. It is not yet clear what the motive for the alleged attack was.
"Just horrible that you would do that to somebody and put obscene tattoos on them is awful," Andrea Buchanan, a neighbor, told KYW-TV.
