83-year-old man robbed, beaten in Delco home

George Shrom is a nice old man. Keeps to himself. Never bothers anybody on the block.

Which is why his Upper Chichester neighbors were shocked to hear that the 83-year-old was found yesterday morning in his Apple Street home, bound by duct tape and brutally assaulted.

Police say that someone broke into Shrom's house and beat him so severely that his brain was bleeding, then wrapped his feet in tape and left him for dead.

"He couldn't really talk," said Upper Chichester Police Chief Thomas Bush. "He was in and out of consciousness."

The attack likely occurred between 7 p.m. Sunday and 11 a.m. yesterday, when Shrom's daughter arrived to take him to the bank, police said. His station wagon was found up the street with his walker in the back. The car keys were tossed at a nearby construction site.

Neighbors said that Shrom, a widower, has lived on the block for decades and used to play his acoustic guitar on the porch.

"I don't see why they would mess with him," said Joe Monaco, 58. "He doesn't bother nobody.

"What the freak? There's no need for this crap."

Shrom was hospitalized yesterday with severe head trauma. Police have not been able to interview him because he is sedated. His house was ransacked, but investigators don't yet know what was taken.

"That section of the township is a very quiet neighborhood, not a lot of criminal activity at all," said Sgt. James Reardon. "So just the fact that we had an incident like this is alarming."

Anyone with information about the home invasion should call police at 610-485-8400.