Holmesburg residents protest in Center City over neighbor’s arrest

A young man accused of assaulting a blind woman in her Philadelphia home as her dog called police is facing serious charges, but his supporters say police have the wrong man in custody.

Family and friends of Tomayo McDuffy marched through the rain in Center City Wednesday saying the 18-year-old is innocent.

He’s accused of assaulting a blind woman in her Holmesburg home.

The woman says her guide dog chased off an intruder and then used a special telephone to call police. Officers arrested her next-door neighbor, McDuffy, but his supporters say the woman has wrongfully accused others in the past.

“The problem is the district attorney’s office is not investigating the complainant in this case,” said Beverly Muldrow, McDuffy’s attorney. “For instance, that she can see, even though she’s telling the court she’s blind, and that puts all of her testimony in my mind under suspicion.”

Tasha Jamerson, spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said there’s enough evidence to hold McDuffy for trial.

“It is now up to a jury of his peers to decide his guilt.” she said.