Teen held at gunpoint in Tacony home invasion

TACONY - June 12, 2012 (WPVI) -- Police are looking for the armed man behind a home invasion early Tuesday morning in the Tacony section of Philadelphia.

It was around 1:30 a.m. when the unidentified man entered a home in the 6200 block of Marsden Street through the basement door.

Once inside, the man woke up a 16-year-old girl who was sleeping on the couch and led her upstairs at gunpoint. The man made off with a PlayStation, games, an iPod, a cell phone and DVDs.

The rest of the family was in the home sleeping.

"In years past it was, in many cases, drug dealers that were ripping off drug dealers. That's not the case any longer. It's now ordinary citizens and business people," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey.

Ramsey said a task force was created earlier this year to tackle the increase in home invasions. 

Early Saturday, also in Tacony, a man was approached by five armed men and forced into his home. The victim told police he was struck twice in the head with a gun, his home searched and robbed.

Then, early Sunday morning, three masked, armed men broke into a home in Oxford Circle. The man who lives there - a business owner - was pistol-whipped as he and a female victim were tied up. A shot was fired but no one was hit by the bullet.

"We're not sure if it's one crew that's doing this or several crews involved with this," Ramsey said.

Anyone with information can contact Philadelphia Police at 215-686-TIPS or through phillypolice.com.

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