An 81-year-old Maryland man was subjected to hours of brutal torture after being lured to a woman’s residence, where he was doused with heated “syrup” in an effort to compel him to disclose the combination to a safe, according to law enforcement authorities.
Austin Michael Maniscalco, 28, and Taylor Storm Falcone, 31, have each been charged in connection with the alleged attack, which occurred on Wednesday. Maniscalco faces a range of charges, including robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, theft, reckless endangerment, and false imprisonment, in addition to multiple conspiracy counts. Falcone has been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, and theft.
The elderly victim was found naked, injured, and in a state of severe distress when he managed to flee the scene after one of his alleged captors fell asleep. He ran to a neighboring residence in Elkton, Maryland, where he desperately sought assistance from a stranger.
“An area on the victim’s chest was marked to indicate where his heart would be carved out,” according to a Cecil County Sheriff’s Office press release.
A neighbor, who requested to remain anonymous, recounted to local Fox affiliate WBFF that his doorbell rang that morning. Upon reviewing his doorbell camera footage, he discovered an injured, unclothed man standing on his porch and urgently pleading for help.
“He’s like real frantic,” the neighbor recalled.
According to the victim’s own account, he had visited Falcone’s residence with the intention of delivering money for a child’s birthday, only to find himself held against his will.
“He was like, you know, I was just here to give her money for her kid’s birthday. And then I’m being held hostage and all this sort of stuff,” the neighbor told WBFF.
Authorities indicated that while the victim had arranged to meet Falcone, he was entirely unaware that Maniscalco would be present inside the home. “The investigation revealed that Mr. Maniscalco and Ms. Falcone conspired to lure the victim to the residence, detain him, and then take his belongings while obtaining access to his residence and safe,” according to the sheriff’s office.
Maniscalco allegedly bound the 81-year-old to a chair using a cord and proceeded to strike him repeatedly. He also pressed a knife against the victim’s throat and demanded the combination to a safe located within the man’s Delaware residence, according to police.
“The victim advised that Mr. Maniscalco then removed his clothing while he was still tied to the chair,” the sheriff’s office stated. “Mr. Maniscalco took syrup that was in the residence’s kitchen and used a microwave to heat the syrup. Mr. Maniscalco then poured the syrup on the victim’s body, causing multiple burns.”
The victim reported that Maniscalco employed these “torture tactics” specifically to extract the safe combination, which the victim ultimately surrendered following the syrup assault. Maniscalco then allegedly used a black marker to inscribe the combination “across the victim’s forehead” before proceeding to steal several of his personal belongings.
“These items included $80 … a gold chain, a gold Seiko watch, a gold bracelet, and vehicle keys to a 2026 Chevrolet Corvette, a 2026 GMC Sierra, and a 2016 Cadillac Escalade,” according to police.
Falcone allegedly departed the residence at some point during the assault.
Investigators subsequently looked into whether the two suspects had intended to use the safe combination to gain entry to the victim’s Delaware home. Authorities contacted New Castle County officials, who conducted a check of the victim’s property and found no evidence that anyone had accessed the residence.
Upon the arrival of law enforcement, Maniscalco initially refused to comply with orders to surrender, prompting the sheriff’s office Special Response Team to deploy an armored BearCat vehicle and breach the home. He ultimately agreed to turn himself in and was taken into custody.
Falcone was apprehended after she returned to the residence. Investigators confirmed that they recovered the victim’s stolen belongings, as well as the chair and cord that were allegedly used to restrain him.
The victim was transported to a hospital for medical treatment and was discharged later that same day.
A judge set Falcone’s bail at $5,000 on Thursday, according to court records. She posted a $500 cash bond and was subsequently released from custody. No bond information for Maniscalco has been made available in existing records.
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