Cops: Woman raped at appliance store
Gunman assaulted woman in Frankford store before barricading himself inside.
A WOMAN was pulled into a Frankford appliance store and sexually assaulted by a man with a gun early yesterday morning, according to police.
About 4:50 a.m., cops were called to Torresdale Appliances, on Torresdale Avenue near Orthodox Street. A Special Victims Unit supervisor said he was not sure who made the initial call to police, but reports indicate that the victim may have been able to call 9-1-1 herself.
Once on the scene, police determined that a barricaded man was armed with a handgun inside the store, according to a police spokeswoman. The man was eventually arrested without incident about 5:30 a.m.
The SVU supervisor said the victim was pulled into the store by someone she did not know, but it was not clear whether she was taken in through the front door or through another entrance.
He did not know how long the sexual assault lasted and declined to detail how the victim escaped, citing an ongoing investigation.
The 33-year-old victim was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released, according to police.
Police said charges, including rape, are pending against the suspect, but officers declined to release the man's name or whether he had a connection to the appliance store.
6ABC reported that the owner of the store was the man who was arrested, but that could not be confirmed.
According to the store's website, it offers "quality" scratched, dented and used appliances and has been "family-owned-and-operated" since 2007.
Online: ph.ly/crime