Two years after Philadelphia bartender Wey Um was robbed and then kidnapped one man has been arrested. NBC10’s Brian Sheehan spoke with Um’s friends about what the arrest means to them.
Police in Philadelphia said they cracked a two-year mystery involving the robbery and deadly kidnapping of a well-known bartender.
A 34-year-old man is now facing federal charges in the case as the U.S. Attorney's Office announced the arrest of Tyheem Tyler, of Philadelphia.
On March 6, 2023, investigators said that Tyler was part of a group that robbed Wey Um at gunpoint outside of the Oxford Tavern on the 5900 block Oxford Avenue in the Summerdale section of the city as he left work.
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The robbery was unreported but had been captured on video surveillance, police said.
According to authorities, a few weeks later on March 31, Tyler and others targeted Um at his home where they allegedly kidnapped him and held him for ransom near the Delaware River around 2:12 a.m. in a Ford Explorer SUV.
“It does bring a sense of finally somebody is finally… somebody got caught," Um's coworker Sasha Negron said.
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Police have not revealed how they believe Um died or if his body has been found.
If convicted in this case, Tyler faces a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death sentence.
“I just want to thank the detectives and the FBI that stayed on the case to help find the person that did this," Um's friend Nadine Doe said.
Officials have not yet revealed the identities of the people who may have been involved in the robbery, kidnapping and death of Um.
During an interview in March, Harold Smith, a customer at Oxford Tavern, described Um as a kind man.
“He is one of the nicest people I have ever met in my entire life,” Smith said. “Wey cares. That’s why it hurts us.”
If you have any information, call or text the Philadelphia Police Department's tipline at 215-686-TIPS.
