Upper Darby police arrest 3 on kidnapping charges

Upper Darby police arrested three men yesterday and are looking for three others who they say kidnapped and beat a local man in an effort to find a big-time drug dealer operating independently of their gang.

The men all belong to the Lansdowne Avenue, or "LA," gang of West Philadelphia, which is believed to be responsible for a drug-related double homicide in Upper Darby last month, Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.

"They're all tattooed up [with] 'LA,' " Chitwood said. "One guy's arms look like a graveyard in memory of all the different guys that have been shot and killed."

On Friday night, six members of the gang kidnapped a man from his home on Ruskin Lane in Upper Darby, Chitwood said. Armed with handguns, a shotgun, a crowbar and a Taser, they blindfolded the man and drove him to a house in West Philadelphia where they tortured him for at least two hours, Chitwood said.

They stole $2,200 from the victim's wallet and told him they would kill him, his mother and his sister if he did not give them more drugs or money, Chitwood said. When the victim said he had no more money or drugs, they asked him to set up a meeting with a well-known drug dealer, Chitwood said.

Instead, the man went to Upper Darby police. On Wednesday, the three men were lured to the victim's home with the expectation of meeting the drug dealer. In order to prevent their escape, police had nailed some of the doors shut. When the men were inside, about 50 police, federal agents and SWAT team members surrounded the house and set off "flash-bang" grenades, Chitwood said.

All of the men wanted in connection with the kidnapping have criminal records that add up to a rap sheet 92 pages long, leading Chitwood to call the sting "Operation Can't Believe You're Still on the Street."

The alleged leader of the crew, Byron Cassidy, 21, of Wynnewood Road in West Philadelphia, was wearing an electronic monitoring bracelet on his ankle when he was arrested; he was on house arrest awaiting sentencing on federal drug and assault charges he pleaded guilty to in August, according to court records.

"Somebody fell asleep at the wheel," Chitwood said. "Because he's committed, to our knowledge, since Friday, two home invasions while on federal probation."

Kaliff Wilson, 22, also of West Philadelphia, got out of prison three weeks ago, after serving 31/2 years for aggravated assault and 11/2 years on a parole violation, according to a Department of Corrections spokesman. Wilson, who said he lives with his grandmother on Delancey Street in Philadelphia, was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, robbery and related offenses and held on $100,000 cash bail.

Cassidy and the third man arrested, Devon Skates, 23, a graduate of Philadelphia Christian Academy, face similar charges and were also ordered held on $100,000 cash bail.

Police are searching for Larue Shivers, 22, of the 6100 block of West Master Street, and David Kennedy, 21, of the 6000 block of Media Street.

Police did not identify the sixth suspect.