South Philly Review

What is believed to have been a verbal dispute between a man and woman allegedly turned violent, with the latter badly beaten and then placed in a medically induced coma.

James Beckham, 64, from the 2100 block of Dickinson Street in Point Breeze, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, possession of an instrument of crime and criminal trespass.

At about 5:30 p.m. Jan. 27, officers responded to a radio call for a disturbance at a Wine & Spirits Shoppe at 1446 Point Breeze Ave., where they were met by a 34-year-old bleeding profusely from her face, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detective Division said.

She told police a man struck her in the face several times with a crowbar after an argument, the nature of which police did not make public, that occurred on the 2100 block of Dickinson a short time before. After the alleged attack, the woman and a group of male witnesses chased Beckham, who fled into the liquor store, where police found him hiding in the rear stockroom.

Officers recovered the crowbar from a vacant lot across the street from the business, Tolliver said.

Medic 40 transported the victim to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was placed into the temporary state of unconsciousness. The injured woman sustained several facial lacerations and possible fractures to her facial bones, the detective said.

Violent home invasion

A woman was held at knifepoint, bound and robbed in a harrowing home invasion on the 1700 block of South Chadwick Street in Point Breeze.

At about 4:30 p.m. Jan. 28, the 51-year-old was home alone and asleep when she was awakened by two men opening her bedroom door, Detective Danielle Tolliver of South Detectives said.

The victim got out of bed and started watching the two, who had moved to another room and began rifling through things. When they spotted her, the duo, armed with large kitchen knives, chased her into her room, the detective said. The perpetrators held the woman to the ground at knifepoint and demanded money, after which they ransacked her room of $1,500, a cellphone and a PlayStation 3.

At one point during the heist, the woman escaped and fled down the stairs, but slipped and broke her right ankle. The men carried her back upstairs, where they tied her up with tape and blankets before fleeing the scene, police said. The victim eventually was able to break free and call police.

Other than the ankle injury, which she went to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for, she was unharmed in the harrowing incident.

The men were described as black, ages 25 to 30, about 5-foot-5 to 5-foot-9 with medium builds and wearing fabric over their faces.

To report information, call South Detectives at 215-686-3013.

Accused murderer pleads guilty