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Legally blind man assaulted after two men break into his Beechview home

A legally blind man was assaulted after two men conned him into letting them enter his home in Beechview.

Police said two men claiming to be from a gas company broke into 71-year-old Tom Guzzi's home on the 1500 block of Rutherford Avenue at 6:45 a.m. Saturday.

Guzzi told police the men said they worked for the gas company and had to turn off meters throughout the neighborhood so they do work.

The two men began brutally beating him in his basement after he let them in, police said.

When Guzzi and the suspects made their way back upstairs, police said the victim grabbed a pot in the kitchen and began smacking the men with it and shouted, "John, call the police!" so they would believe someone else was in the house.

Authorities said Guzzi needed 30 stitches in his head after the suspects hit him with a gun and a picture that was hanging on the wall.

After the incident, police said the men took off and they were unable to track them down.

Anyone with information is asked to call police.