Police keep up search for assailant

Toby Laiken, 53, is expected to make a full recovery after being assaulted in her office in the Penn Tower Hotel. Police continue to search for the individual who assaulted and severely injured a Health System employee in her Penn Tower Hotel office Monday morning. Philadelphia resident Toby Laiken, 53, who was admitted to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania slightly before 7 a.m. Monday in serious condition, remained in satisfactory condition yesterday after undergoing surgery to the lower jaw. Laiken is expected to make a full recovery and has regained consciousness since the assault, authorities said. But the victim has not yet been able to elaborate on the details of the crime, University Health System spokesperson Rebecca Harmon said. Currently, six detectives from the Philadelphia Police and University Police departments are exclusively investigating this incident, with four other officers assisting, University Police Det. Commander Tom King said. During the incident, which occurred between 5:15 a.m. and 5:35 a.m. Monday, Laiken received several lacerations to the head and was only semi-conscious when police found her at her desk in the Cancer Center office on the building's sixth floor. Police believe Laiken's assailant is responsible for burglaries on the fourth and eighth floors and an attempted burglary on the seventh floor that were reported the same morning as her assault. Although the incident itself was not videotaped, detectives are reviewing footage from Penn Tower surveillance cameras to find clues that may lead to a suspect. Police are still unsure how the suspect entered the building, as all entrances except the main one are locked between 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Since the incident occurred, officials have stepped up security in the building and accelerated plans to replace former Security Director Anthony Marziani. Also, the Health System held three "safety sessions" Tuesday and one yesterday for Penn Tower and Health System employees to allow them to voice concerns and learn ways to protect themselves. The assault was an unusual incident for the facility. According to the list of crimes in the University Police log book, crime in the Penn Tower and its adjoining parking garage has in recent months been limited to thefts. Since June 21, 31 thefts -- including one auto theft and 23 thefts from vehicles -- have been reported to University Police. King, who is not directly involved with Penn Tower security, said the building is "relatively crime-free." "I see [the assault] as an aberration," King said. Health System Security Director Alfred Glogower, who is currently responsible for security inside the Penn Tower, did not respond to repeated phone calls this week.

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