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Student, 30, bound & held 12 hours in his U. City apartment

A 30-year-old University of Pennsylvania dental student was held captive for 12 long hours beginning late Sunday night by three thieves who ransacked his apartment, stole his credit cards and kicked back to watch TV.

A 30-year-old University of Pennsylvania dental student was held captive for 12 long hours beginning late Sunday night by three thieves who ransacked his apartment, stole his credit cards and kicked back to watch TV.

The crooks finally left the man's University City apartment, on Spruce Street near 43rd, about 11:30 a.m. yesterday and went wild, draining the man's ATM account and charging his credit card at seemingly every chance.

But the shopping spree came to an abrupt halt for one of the thieves last night, who was arrested coming out of a Rite Aid at 23rd and Walnut streets, said Lt. John Walker, of Southwest Detectives.

The suspect, whose name was withheld, was captured by police after investigators noticed that he had just used the victim's credit card inside the Rite Aid, Walker said.

The robber's accomplices remained on the loose last night.

Walker said the robbers - one of whom was armed - grabbed their victim as he was walking out of his apartment at about 11:15 p.m. Sunday and forced him back inside.

The student stood by helplessly as the thieves tore through his apartment and was stunned to see them stop to watch reruns of "American Gladiator" and old movies on his TV, Walker said.

For a while, one of the crooks left the apartment to make sure the ATM personal identification numbers the victim had given them was correct.

The thieves duct-taped the man's eyes and hands in a dark stairwell right before they left, Walker said.

From there, the trio zig-zagged across the city - from The Gallery at 8th and Market, to 69th and Market, then on to Upper Darby and Havertown, then back to 69th and Market - buying sneakers, clothes and gift cards while continually draining the student's ATM accounts, Walker said.

At one point, the FBI got involved and monitored the credit card and ATM transactions.

"We were always one step behind [the thieves] throughout the entire day," Walker said.

"But we're happy that we've taken one dangerous person off the streets."

Earlier in the day, neighbors in the Castle Hill apartments nervously looked on as investigators walked through the crime scene.

"There's no security at all," said Chang, a neighbor who asked that his last name not be used. Castle Hill management couldn't be reached for comment. *