Two arrested after deputies find ‘tortured’, naked elderly man in Elkton yard

Elkton, Md. (WBFF) — An 81-year-old man was hospitalized after Cecil County Sheriff’s Office deputies found him naked and injured in a yard in Elkton on Wednesday, and investigators said he reported being assaulted, restrained and robbed inside a nearby home.

On Nov. 4, around 8:30 a.m., deputies responded to the unit block of Chestnut Drive for reports of an individual lying in the yard of a residence naked with apparent injuries.

Deputies made contact with an 81-year-old man with visible injuries to his head and body. He was taken to Christiana Care Hospital in Newark, Delaware, for treatment and was later released.

The man told deputies he was the victim of an assault and robbery that happened inside the residence.

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He said he had traveled there earlier that morning to meet a woman identified as Taylor Storm Falcone, a 31-year-old woman who lives in the unit block of Chestnut Drive in Elkton.

After he was invited inside, the man said a second person, later identified as Austin Michael Maniscalco, a 28-year-old man who also lives in the unit block of Chestnut Drive in Elkton, Maryland, was inside the home.

The victim told deputies Maniscalco became angry and aggressive, tied him to a chair with a cord and refused to let him leave.

The victim reported he was assaulted in multiple ways, including being punched in the head and face with a closed fist and having a knife held against his throat.

He also said Maniscalco removed his clothing while he was still tied to the chair.

According to the victim, Maniscalco took syrup from the kitchen, heated it in a microwave and poured it on the victim’s body, causing multiple burns. Investigators said the victim’s injuries were consistent with his account.

The victim said Maniscalco used what he described as “torture” tactics to obtain the combination to a safe at the victim’s residence in Delaware.

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The victim provided the combination, and he said Maniscalco used a black marker to write it across the victim’s forehead. The victim also reported his chest was marked to indicate where his heart would be carved out, and investigators said they observed markings on his body.

Investigators said Falcone left the residence during the time frame when the assault was occurring.

The victim reported several items were stolen, including $80 in U.S. currency, 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.

The victim told deputies that after the assault and theft, Maniscalco fell asleep inside the residence. The victim said he untied himself and fled while Maniscalco was asleep. The sheriff’s office said it received multiple calls about the victim being outside the residence.

Investigators contacted Falcone and learned she was still not back at the home. The New Castle County Police Department also responded to the victim’s residence and confirmed no one had recently entered, according to investigators.

A judge signed a search and seizure warrant for the Chestnut Drive residence. The sheriff’s office Special Response Team responded with its BearCat rescue vehicle and made repeated requests for Maniscalco to exit and surrender, but investigators said he ignored them. As the team approached with the BearCat and began breaching the door, Maniscalco surrendered and was arrested. The sheriff’s office said it acquired the BearCat in 2025 to assist with high-risk incidents.

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During a search of the residence, investigators said they located the property the victim reported stolen, as well as the cord and chair described by the victim. Investigators said the investigation revealed Maniscalco and Falcone conspired to lure the victim to the residence, detain him, take his belongings, and obtain access to his residence and safe.

Falcone was later arrested when she returned to the residence.

Maniscalco was charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, second-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, theft between $1,500 and $25,000, conspiracy to commit theft, reckless endangerment and false imprisonment.

Falcone was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit first-degree assault, conspiracy to commit second-degree assault, and conspiracy to commit theft between $1,500 and $25,000.

Both Maniscalco and Falcone were committed to the Cecil County Correctional Facility with no bond.