Man stabbed in Center City underground complex
Blood-soaked towels covered the floor of Hair Express in the concourse level of the Mellon Center complex today, after a customer's husband stumbled in to the salon after being stabbed six times in a public restroom around the corner shortly before 11 a.m.
Man stabbed in Center City underground complex
Blood-soaked towels covered the floor of Hair Express in the concourse level of the Mellon Center complex today, after a customer's husband stumbled in to the salon after being stabbed six times in a public restroom around the corner shortly before 11 a.m.
Police have the man in custody who allegedly stabbed Ben Davis, 64, during a robbery at the underground complex, on Market Street near 7th near the Gallery mall. Davis, who was identified by salon employees, remains in critical condition at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.
Every other week, Ben Davis sits listening to the piano and drinking coffee in the concourse while his wife, Sandy, gets her hair done, stylist Ren'ee DeSanto said.
"He came around the corner staggering and bleeding from his head," DeSanto said. "He said he was robbed and that was it. He slumped down in this chair."
DeSanto said Davis' wife ran to his side while she called 911. Police said Davis was stabbed in his chest, neck and back.
A woman who works in the complex said despite the clean appearances of the restrooms where Davis was stabbed, they are plagued with drug use and sex. An operations manager said the restrooms would remain closed for the rest of the day.
Comments (41)
Time to lock all of those concourse level restrooms?— anon- That's an idea, but it won't help. I doubt anything will at this point. The low-lifes will just find another place to commit their crimes. Just stay out of the restrooms, unless there is a police officer sitting by the sinks, handing out towels and selling sprays of cologne.
— mccarte1 
Don't use the restrooms! This isn't the first time I've heard of somebody being attacked in restrooms near the Gallery. Wasn't some 84 year-old man attacked a few years ago by a group of thugs?- crime near the Gallery? I am shocked.........— rukiddinme
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this is nuts...— dexter55- Unfortunately the City does more to protect the rights of these criminals to wander about the concorse stalking innocent victims. We need to get more of the police off their desk jobs and assign the paperwork duty to non-police employees (clerks).— equalityman
- Use the restrooms, just don't try to buy drugs or have sex in them.— FMT
Not only 4-legged varmint live in the lower concourses. Another example of the need for more police presence and foot patrols.— dogman5
It's so rough and dangerous down there even the police are afraid to patrol. They do, however, put up the yellow tape quickly and efficiently and fill out all the paperwork requested by the coroner.- There are STEADY police patrols of the concourse, both by Philadelphia Police AND SEPTA police. Actually take a walk through there sometime and you will see them all over. Police presence will NEVER prevent crime from happening as they cannot be everywhere at all times.
Why do you think they caught the guy so fast? Use your brain while commenting please, you make us all look bad.— DangDemocrats - His wife needs to find a new hairdresser. Who in their right mind would be anywhere near the Gallery?— BobbyD
- restrooms...plagued with drug use and sex...now it's a party!— rubberguard
- And the philly police want to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring the mounted police unit back - police on horses - what a waste of taxpayer money.— Luv3Dance
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- Again, learn how to READ and comprehend an article before adding your completely irrelevant comment. It was under the Mellon Center, NOT the Gallery. And they DID catch the suspect. It's no wonder why we Philadelphians are labeled as ignorant. — DangDemocrats
- I'll go out on a limb and guess that this will not end up being this mugger's debut at this sort of thing.
- Yesterday? You mean...today, right?— CrazyIvan
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- I walk through there daily and use the restrooms often. I can attest that they are disgusting, with people basically living in the stalls and homeless taking over the sinks. Cops often are grouped outside, laughing and being jovial and basically doing nothing. Lets clean out the bathrooms (and the ones in market east as well) and protect the people in the city who actually contribute.— damone5000
- Police have the man in custody who allegedly stabbed Ben Davis, 64...
If the victim lives he can testify against this scum. If not he'll go free to rob and stab again.— tomorner 
Hopes for a full recovery for the victim. Life in any city has its dangers, we're not alone as some posters would lead you to believe.— gho_matt- burn the gallery down already and get those cheap thug stores out.— fman727
- This is why most of the bathrooms in Europe cost money to use, 50 cents or so. It keeps most homeless people from bathing in the sinks-market east station bathroom!!! And it usually pays for an attendant to keep an eye on things and keep it clean. There should be one large bathroom in the Gallery that is staffed while it is open.— phil80
- This is why most of the bathrooms in Europe cost money to use, 50 cents or so. It keeps most homeless people from bathing in the sinks-market east station bathroom!!! And it usually pays for an attendant to keep an eye on things and keep it clean. There should be one large bathroom in the Gallery that is staffed while it is open.— phil80
- I think its safe to say "Usual Suspects" hope the victim has a full recovery and his lady's perm turned out— cmoney
- If this is the building I am thinking of, its actually pretty nice. I used to go there for food at Pagano's and also listen to the piano player. Unfortunately, the city that I love also has an ungodly amount of savage creeps living in it. I really enjoyed every minute of living in Center City when I was there, but something should be done about the bums and thugs that make it dangerous. More police would be nice in Center City...even if it means that the truly too-far-gone areas of the city are left to fend for themselves. Sorry, but Center City and the surrounding neighborhoods are the only hope for our city to stay relevant. I don't anticipate a lot of new business or positive activity happening anytime soon at 3rd and Indiana, but 7th and Market should be protected at all costs.— Barry O
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- Just go away. — lulu
I can't beleive that people break the law. For who? For what? This man must have done something to provoke the ayyack. Did he pay for his sex? his drugs? And where was the piano player while all this was going on? Tickling the ivories?- Barry is right - this area is nice - or it was a few years ago. In no way should anyone blame this poor victim. Put the blame where it belongs. My prayers are with him and his family.— lulu
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- Police presence is on-and-off. That's why I carry a gun.— DonQ
- Spearheadpa, you left out that the man with the musket directed racial epithets at the city workers, thus it is part of the story (As noted in the article, " I'll blow your head off," said the man, who is white and directed a racial epithet at the workers, according to police.") As of now, it is NOT part of this story. It seems that you left this out of your comment because you either can't read or are just a racist looking to start something. Which one is it? Probably both, because you certainly cannot write.
By the way, to the authors of the article. The Mellon Center is nowhere near the Gallery. One is at 17th and Market and the other is at 7th and Market. Big difference.
— mattSR - Yet another reason to redevelop that stretch of Market Street.— bpkrier
- I eat lunch in the atrium courtyard there (Ross Dept. store/old Lit Brothers Bldg. at 8th & Market) and use the bathrooms without any more worry than I have anywhere in Philadelphia when you're alone and slightly out of the way. The hallway is near a pedestrian walkway but could use a video camera to prevent this type of thing, I suppose. It really is a nice building (not part of the Gallery) and you can listen to a wonderful piano player or two in the atrium at lunchtime. Clean and decent and the patrons are business and government professionals for the most part.— Yob
Cmoney - unusual name, anyway, ask yourself this, "Why is there no mention of white criminals in CC?" or for that matter anywhere in Philadelphia. As told to me from an 22 year officer of the Philadelphia Police Dept. You'd be very surprised?...no scared.- h— philly.comcommentsarefrustrating
- A thought on the Gallery at Market East: are there any plans in the works to rehab this place? The stores are pretty similar to many you would find in typical downscale malls, but still not the horror people paint it to be. It really could use some quality redecorating, especially since the PATCO line stops there and it's right on the border of the historic district. I always feel bad for tourists who accidentally wander through after their sunny visits to Independence Hall, The Constitution Center, etc. Philly really needs to do something with the Gallery. What's up, Mayor?— Yob
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