CECIL COUNTY, Md. (TCN) — Two people have been arrested and charged in connection with the alleged torture of an elderly man.
On Nov. 4, deputies with the Cecil County Sheriff’s Office arrived at a home to find an 81-year-old man in the yard covered with visible injuries, WBFF reports. A neighbor alerted police after the victim rang his doorbell and said he needed help.
According to the neighbor, the victim said he had gone to the home to give a woman, 31-year-old Taylor Storm Falcone, money for her children’s birthday, per WBFF. When he got there, Falcone’s boyfriend, 28-year-old Austin Michael Maniscalco, was inside.
Cecil County Sheriff Capt. Michael Holmes said, “The male subject assaulted him. Tied him to a chair using the cord, and proceeded to use torture-like methods on him, including punching him with a closed fist,” as well as allegedly heating up syrup in the microwave and pouring it on the victim’s body, WBFF reports.
The victim was treated for his injuries at a hospital and released the same day, per WBFF.
During the alleged assault, Maniscalco allegedly demanded the combination to the victim’s safe, and then allegedly wrote it across his forehead. He also allegedly made a mark on the victim’s chest, and authorities say it is where Maniscalco had planned to carve out the victim’s heart, WBFF reports. When Maniscalco eventually fell asleep, the victim escaped and went to a neighboring home for help.
Authorities believe Falcone left before the alleged assault, but she and Maniscalco allegedly conspired to lure and rob the victim. A search warrant executed at Maniscalco’s home found some of the victim’s stolen belongings, WBFF reports.
CP24 reports Maniscalco was charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, first degree-assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, theft between $1,500 and $25,000, conspiracy to commit theft, reckless endangerment, and false imprisonment.
Falcone was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, and conspiracy to commit theft between $1,500 and $25,000.
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