Like many urban cities around the country, Philadelphia has been rapidly changing and gentrifying over the course of the past decade, which means that many dilapidated residential buildings are either being demolished for new construction, or rehabbed by developers. These houses can often initially be a hazard due to years of neglect or having been inhabited by squatters, but the last thing one would expect to encounter is a potentially deadly booby trap, just waiting for an unsuspecting visitor.
But that’s just what one real estate investor discovered, when walking through a home in Southwest Philadelphia. Ekrem Uysaler, sales executive for ABC Capital Investments, was doing pre-rehab scope with his crew on a property when they encountered a staircase covered in broken glass and what appeared to be a trip-wire.
After making sure everyone was clear of the stairs, one of the men triggered the would-be booby trap with a board and down came swinging a single crutch with a long knife attached to it. The video was posted to Facebook by property manager Ari Miller, who received it from Uysaler in a WhatsApp message, as you can see below.
“Oh sh*t!” exclaimed several of the men in unison, while another added, “That would have f*cking straight up killed you right in your f*cking head, dude.”
Uysaler spoke with the PhillyVoice earlier this week, and although he wouldn’t reveal the exact address of the home (which, in all honesty, is probably for the best), admitted that his crew has been “walking on eggshells,” since the incident occurred.
“Luckily, we stopped one of our guys before he walked into the wire. The whole thing was pretty crazy,” he said — and boy was he not kidding.