2nd arrest after man in wheelchair beaten, robbed

UPPER DARBY, Pa. - August 2, 2012 (WPVI) -- Police say they have arrested both suspects after a man in a wheelchair was beaten and robbed inside his Upper Darby home.

The attack was caught on video, which was released at a news conference on Monday.

Keenan Smith, 21, surrendered to police on Tuesday afternoon. Another suspect, 23-year-old Dominic Henderson, was arrested shortly after the robbery.

"It's cruel and inhumane," said Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. "They're bad guys."

Upper Darby police say it all began around 5:30 a.m. last Thursday when the victim, a 37-year-old man suffering from muscular dystrophy, received a telephone call.

That caller turned out to be a cousin who claimed he'd been in an accident and wanted to borrow some oxycodone pills, police said.

The victim agreed to his cousin's request, police said, but was also suspicious. So, he set up a video camera in his living room at the Lansdowne Towers Apartments at 772 Providence Road.

A short time later he was greeted at the door by two strangers, not his cousin. Those men were later identified by police as Henderson and Smith.

"Smith and Henderson look around for a while. We don't see it on film but they allegedly punch the victim in the face and drag him out of his wheelchair," Chitwood said.

On video, police say it is Smith who can be seen dragging the victim back into the living room. Police say it is Henderson who pinned the victim on the floor with his foot while Smith walked about with a 50-inch television.

Henderson is then seen leaving with an Xbox 260 and some games. Police say the men also stole 35 oxycodone pills.

Before leaving, police say the men also threw the victim's cell phone behind the couch.

The victim was able to crawl to his door and lock it. He then crawled to his phone and dialed 911, a process that took more than half an hour.

Police believe the victim was set up by his cousin, but so far have not released that cousin's identity. That person is under investigation, police said.

The victim is said to be 'scared' and in hiding.

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pennsylvania, delaware county, upper darby, assault, robbery, local/state

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