Man Who Held Family Hostage In Bensalem Hotel Convicted

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —A Philadelphia man has been convicted for a crime in which he held a family hostage inside a Bucks County hotel room, authorities said.

A Philadelphia jury convicted Eric Alamo, 48, of Philadelphia on Tuesday for his role in the kidnapping and robbery of two victims in the city’s Kensington area, District Attorney Larry Krasner said.

Authorities said Alamo and two co-conspirators kidnapped the victim on Nov. 11, duct-taped him to a chair, pistol-whipped him, and beat him with a knife, causing minor cuts.

Alamo then took the victim’s money via CashApp and then took him by gunpoint to his car and drove to pick up the victim’s wife and 9-year-old son.

Alamo made the victim call his wife and ordered her to bring money and narcotics. Before arriving, the victim’s wife called her sister and told her about the situation, authorities said.

Once the wife arrived, Alamo stripped her of her physical belongings and forced her to make an ATM withdrawal.

He then drove the family to the Lincoln Hotel in Bensalem, where Alamo forced the duct-taped victim into the bathtub and coerced his wife to send multiple CashApp payments to Alamo, authorities said.

Bensalem police officers responded to the hotel room and saw the victim whispering, “Help me.”

Police found the family and Alamo in the hotel room where a pistol was also recovered.

Alamo was found guilty of robbery, kidnapping for ransom, conspiracy, unlawful restraint, and serious bodily injury, among other charges.