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An 83-year-old man who was beaten during a home-invasion robbery has died. Now it’s a homicide.

Mauricio Gesmundo Sr., died at Temple University Hospital at 7:30 p.m. Monday. His family and police are asking for tipsters to come forward with information on his assailants.

Mauricio Gesmundo Sr., 83, died Monday from injuries sustained in a beating during a robbery in his Hunting Park home on New Year's Eve. He is seen before (left) and shortly after the attack. A few days after the assault, he fell into a coma and never recovered, his family said.
Mauricio Gesmundo Sr., 83, died Monday from injuries sustained in a beating during a robbery in his Hunting Park home on New Year's Eve. He is seen before (left) and shortly after the attack. A few days after the assault, he fell into a coma and never recovered, his family said.Read moreCatherine Jones/Courtesy of Family
    by Julie Shaw
    Updated 
    Published 

An 83-year-old man who was beaten and bound during a home-invasion robbery in Hunting Park on New Year’s Eve has died and the case is now a homicide, police said Wednesday.

Mauricio Gesmundo Sr., died at Temple University Hospital at 7:30 p.m. Monday, a Philadelphia police spokesperson said. No suspects have been identified and the investigation continues, the spokesperson said.

Gesmundo was alone in his home on the 3900 block of North Fairhill Street when one or more assailants entered the home, beat and dragged him, tied his hands and feet, bound his mouth with duct tape, and stole two safes, his family has said. They estimated about $30,000 was taken from the safes, which were in the bedroom of Gesmundo’s daughter and her husband.

“I’m absolutely still in disbelief,” one of the victim’s sons, Geo Gesmundo, said Wednesday. “I’m sick to my stomach. I can’t sleep at night. He shouldn’t have gone this way. No human being should go this way.”

His father’s condition had worsened a few days after the attack and he had been in a coma for about two weeks before his death, the son said.

The family has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for a reward for tipsters, in addition to the city’s reward of $20,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction. As of Wednesday morning, the GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $9,000.

Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the police homicide unit at 215-686-3334, the tip line at 215-686-TIPS (8477), or email tips@phillypolice.com.