Carjackers pull man from SUV, leave him for dead in Northern Liberties, police say

A pair of carjackers hopped off what appeared to be an illegal dirt bike to assault a man during a carjacking in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood before leaving him for dead as they made their escape into New Jersey, police said.

Family identified the man as 60-year-old Peter Chan of Chinatown.

Philadelphia police officers and fire department medics were called to 3rd and Cambridge streets in the Northern Liberties neighborhood around 10 p.m. Thursday to find Chan bleeding from his head in a semi-conscious state, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said.

Medics rushed him to the hospital where he died about 40 minutes later, Small said.

"Right now it appears to be a robbery, carjacking, homicide," Small said.

Léelo en español aquí.

Here is what police said a witness told them.

"The 60-year-old male was sitting in a parked, black Toyota Highlander -- we know it's a 2023," Small said. "... two males come up on a motorcycle, possibly a dirt bike -- they were wearing masks on their faces -- one of them pulled the 60-year-old driver from the driver's seat and there was some sort of struggle and altercation."

During that struggle, the man pulled from the SUV wound up bloodied on the highway, Small said.

"We don't believe this victim was shot," Small said.

One of the robbers got back on the dirt bike and the other drove off in the Highlander, Small said.

The carjacking happened right outside of Boricua Restaurant after closing time.

"This area is so nice. People know each other on a first-name basis," the restaurant's owner, Hector Serrano, shared his disappointment with NBC10.

Police tracked the Highlander and found it ditched in Camden, New Jersey, Philadelphia police said. Investigators held the vehicle hoping it contained clues.

His wife said that the 60-year-old -- who was originally from the Fujian province of China and lived in Center City's Chinatown neighborhood -- was waiting for her while she ran an errand at the time of the attack.

She said that when she came back from the errand, that's when she saw their car was gone and her husband was lying on the ground.

Surveillance cameras also captured parts of the incident. Small said police hope that assists them in tracking down the robbers.

The Philadelphia Police Department shared the total number of carjackings, including attempts, over the last five years as of August 18, 2023:

• 2019: 224
• 2020: 408
• 2021: 881
• 2022: 1363
• 2023: 525 as of August 18

Philadelphia continues to struggle with homicides. Entering Friday, at least 268 homicides have been reported in Philadelphia, according to police data. That's down 23% from the same time last year, but still on pace to be one of the bloodiest years in recent history.