What to Know
- A 64-year-old man and his 68-year-old wife were held hostage for more than 24 hours in their bedroom in Manhattan last Tuesday
- Police say the man was beaten and had broken bones but they stopped short of saying his death was a homicide
- The suspect, 46-year-old Truman Delaney, was arrested and charged with assault, grand larceny, unlawful imprisonment and a weapon charge
A 64-year-old man died after he and his wife were held hostage in their New York City home for more than 24 hours by a suspect who nailed their bedroom door shut and took their credit cards, police say.
Police said they arrested Truman Delaney, 46, after the 68-year-old wife managed to escape and sought help. It wasn't immediately clear how or if the victims knew Delaney but police said he took the couple's cellphones before locking them in their Lower East Side home Aug. 20.
Delaney allegedly struck the husband multiple times, causing bleeding and broken bones, according to police. He also forced them to give up their credit cards' pin numbers. The victims' identities have not been released.
More than a day after being locked up, the woman managed to climb out of her bedroom window and escaped to the basement where she was able to seek help. Her husband died a few days later. The medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine his cause of death.
Police said the suspect used the couple's money to buy beer and cigarettes.
Delaney was charged with assault, grand larceny, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a weapon, according to the NYPD. Information on a possible attorney for him wasn't immediately available.
