Left: Taylor Falcone (Cecil County Sheriff's Office). Right: Austin Maniscalco (Cecil County Sheriff's Office).
An 81-year-old Maryland man endured hours of torture after being lured to a woman's home, where he was doused with hot "syrup" to force him to reveal a safe combination, cops say.
Austin Michael Maniscalco, 28, and Taylor Storm Falcone, 31, face multiple charges over the alleged attack, which happened on Wednesday. Maniscalco faces charges including robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault, theft, reckless endangerment and false imprisonment, along with multiple conspiracy counts. Falcone faces charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and theft.
The elderly victim was naked, injured and frantic when he managed to escape after one of his alleged captors fell asleep, according to police. He ran to a nearby home in Elkton, Maryland, and begged a stranger for help.
"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 asked not to be identified told local Fox affiliate WBFF that his doorbell rang that morning. When he checked his doorbell camera, he saw an injured, unclothed man on his porch desperately asking for help.
"He's like real frantic," the neighbor recalled.
According to the victim, he had gone to Falcone's residence to bring money for a child's birthday before being 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.
Police say the victim arranged to meet Falcone but did not know Maniscalco would be 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 restrained the 81-year-old with a "cord" tied to a chair before repeatedly punching him. He also held a knife against the victim's throat and demanded the combination to a safe inside the man's Delaware home, 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 says. "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."
According to the victim, Maniscalco used the "torture tactics" to obtain the combination to his safe, which the victim provided after the syrup was used. Maniscalco allegedly used a black marker to write the combination "across the victim's forehead" before stealing several items from him.
"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 left the residence during the assault.
Authorities investigated whether the pair planned to use the safe combination to enter the man's Delaware home. Police contacted New Castle County authorities, who checked the victim's residence and found no indication that anyone had entered.
Maniscalco initially refused commands to surrender when officers arrived, prompting the sheriff's office Special Response Team to roll up in an armored BearCat and breach the home. He eventually agreed to turn himself in and was arrested.
Falcone was taken into custody after returning to the residence. Investigators said they recovered the victim's stolen belongings, along with the chair and cord allegedly used to restrain him.
The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment and released later that day.
A judge set Falcone's bail at $5,000 on Thursday, according to court records. She posted a $500 cash bond and was released from custody. No bond information for Maniscalco has been provided in available records.
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