City police seize guns, drugs in off-campus raid

Four arrested after tying up man and Gregory Montanaro Philadelphia Police made a major drug and gun bust late Tuesday night after witnessing four heavily armed men tie up and gag a man in an apartment building at 4045 Baltimore Avenue, University Police Sergeant Keith Christian said last night. When the raid was over at about 11:33 p.m., police had confiscated three weapons -- an automatic 9-millimeter gun, an automatic .45-caliber gun and a TEC-9 mini-machine gun -- said a Philadelphia police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. In addition to the guns, police confiscated in excess of one pound of uncut crack cocaine, with a street value of over $100,000, the officer said. The officer added that one of the men who was arrested was wanted for murder in an incident where the suspect shot his victim 23 times. Another man was wanted for robbery and burglary, and a third man was wanted for felony theft. After the officers witnessed the assailants binding the man, they decided to stake out the building. The officers waited to take action until two of the gunmen left the building. The men were immediately apprehended. The other assailants, however, saw this and led police on a chase through the building. Although details are still sketchy, it appears the men broke into Pennsylvania Book Center employee Geoffrey Hamell's apartment near the scene of the abduction. "They smashed open the door thinking they were going out the back of the building," Hamell said. "Instead, they wound up in my apartment." Hamell said he was scared when he heard the men crashing through his door, sounding "like a herd of elephants." "I sat there for a moment wondering what it was," he said, and added that he had just stepped out of the shower. Hamell said the police then tried to open his door, which he tried to stop, not knowing they were the police. "They then slammed [the door] open, slamming it against my face," he said. "I went into my bedroom until I heard the noise stop. I wasn't about to get involved in that." The men were then arrested, Hamell said, although he did not leave his bedroom until after the incident was resolved. The men are being charged with nine counts, including robbery, burglary, theft, weapons and drug offenses, a Philadelphia Police detective said. Hamell said security has definitely been an issue in the area. "[Safety] has always been a concern," he said. "You can't live in University City without worrying about that." But Hamell said Philadelphia Police responded to the incident before it could have become more violent. "I'm glad the police showed up when they did," he added. "If they didn't, I probably would have been shot or taken hostage."