Suspect Arrested In Center City Stabbing, Victim Recovering
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A South Jersey man was rushed to the hospital in critical condition on Thursday after he was stabbed inside a public restroom in the lower level of the Mellon Independence Center (the former Lit Brothers department store building) in center city Philadelphia.
Eyewitnesses identified the victim as 64-year-old Ben Davis. Police say he was stabbed six times just before 11 a.m. during an attempted robbery inside restroom. The incident happened near the bustling underground concourse used by commuter rail riders beneath Market Street between 7th and 8th Streets.
Eyewitness News spoke with the victim's son, Benjamin Davis Jr.:
"He was trying to rob him, but he did not get to because he is a punk. Once he got approached by the man he (my father) fought him back."
Davis was waiting for his wife, who was getting her hair done at Salon Hair Express, when he was stabbed in the head, back, and chest.
"He came staggering around, he was all bloody," Ren'ee DeSanto said.
DeSanto, a hairdresser at Salon Hair Express, knew right away the bloodied man was her client's husband.
"And she said, 'somebody punched him,' but when he hit the chair he wasn't breathing right," DeSanto explained.
The salon owner, Billy Brocco, added, "He was bleeding profusely from the head and chest so I got towels, wet towels, compresses, to try to stop the bleeding."
Davis was taken to Jefferson University Hospital with multiple stab wounds in critical condition and was later upgraded to fair.
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Eyewitness News learned from sources that Davis managed to point out the suspect to a security officer with Allied Barton Security Services, who spotted the suspect and chased him through the concourse out onto Market Street. Sources say a Philadelphia police lieutenant happened to be out patrolling the area at the time and the lieutenant and backup officers were able to arrest the suspect.
"You tried to take my father away from me," said Davis' son. "I'm the only child in this family. I'm glad my father is doing better, I want to see these people pay a more severe price."
The suspect, identified by police as William Berrioz, 25, of the 1300 block of N. Dover Street, has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and related crimes.
The incident remains under investigation.
Reported by Elizabeth Hur, CBS 3; Valerie Levesque, CBS 3; Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio
