A knife fight early Monday outside a Tacony house wasn’t what it initially seemed, but detectives are starting to get a much clearer picture of how two men ended up with critical stab wounds.
An abduction and attempted robbery precipitated the showdown in the front yard of a twin home on the 7100 block of Ditman St., according to Lt. Dennis Rosenbaum of Northeast Detectives.
When patrol cops arrived at the scene at about 3:45 a.m., they found a 30-year-old man on the ground with a stab wound of the back. Neighbors reported that an argument between roommates sparked the violence that spilled outside and escalated. The second combatant had fled.
About 45 minutes later with police still guarding the crime scene, a neighbor reported finding the second wounded man lying behind a wall in a yard about a half-block away, Rosenbaum said. He appeared to be in his late 20s and had stab wounds of the head, neck and face.
Paramedics took both men to Aria Health’s Torresdale hospital in critical condition. When detectives were able to interview the 30-year-old, he reported that the other man had abducted him from a bar at Roosevelt Boulevard and Robbins Avenue. When the men arrived at the victim’s house, the victim fought back. It remains unclear how many knives were involved and who ended up with them.
Detectives were unable to interview the alleged abductor, who remained hospitalized on Tuesday. His identity was not released as formal charges were pending. ••
