2 men sought for assault inside Planet Fitness locker room in South Philadelphia
WPVI
By WPVI Digital Staff and Leland Pinder
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PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Police are searching for two men accused of attacking someone inside the locker room of a Planet Fitness in South Philadelphia.
It happened around 12:20 a.m. on February 19 in the 2300 block of W. Oregon Avenue.
Investigators say the victim was so badly injured, they are just now able to speak with him in detail about what happened.
“From the complainant, he had no prior interactions with these males,” said Captain Trina Pendleton, the commanding officer of South Detectives.
They were seen on surveillance video hanging out around the counter area for a while before they went into the locker room, according to police.
That’s where they allegedly punched and kicked another person in the head and body several times until the victim lost consciousness.
Pendleton said the attack was unprovoked and appears to be random.
Police say the victim was a man in his 20s. He was not robbed and the man says he didn’t know his attackers.
“These males were not members. They were allowed to go back, so the reason why they were allowed to go back is unknown at this time,” said Pendleton.
Even though police call this an isolated incident, gym goers said they’re alarmed the suspects got in and escaped undetected.
“I don’t think anything like that should be happening here. This is a place to work out. This isn’t a place for that,” said Juan Kurian of South Philadelphia.
“It’s horrible. You should be able to come in and work and not worry about getting beat up,” added Anthony Juliana of Aston Township.
The suspects were last seen running out of the gym.
Planet Fitness did not answer questions about possible changes to safety measures. They did, however, say in a statement that member safety is a top priority and the local franchise group is working with police in the investigation.
“At Planet Fitness, the safety of our members is a top priority. The local franchise group is working closely with police to assist them in their ongoing investigation,” a spokesperson for the fitness company said.
Anyone with information can call or text police at 215-686-TIPS (8477).
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