A suspect has been charged with murdering his girlfriend in a Pennsylvania hotel room before traveling to New Jersey to allegedly attack her family.
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The investigation began early on Jan. 15, when 51-year-old Orenthia Upshur reportedly called a relative, claiming he had shot his girlfriend in a hotel room in Bensalem, according to ABC affiliate 6 Action News. Using the cell phone of the victim, identified as 49-year-old Maisha Coon, officers were able to trace its location and initiate a search of nearby hotels.
Police later discovered that Coon had rented a room at the Sleep Inn on Street Road. Upon entering her room, they found her lying on the floor with apparent gunshot wounds. According to police, surveillance footage shows Upshur leaving the hotel with a handgun tucked in his pocket.
Police Report Multiple 911 Calls Leading Them to the Suspect After He Left the Hotel
At the same time, police responded to a 911 report of gunfire near the intersection of Parkside Avenue and Oak Lane in Trenton. Police reported that an Uber passenger alerted them to a man firing a gun from a pickup truck. The shooter fired three shots in the passenger’s direction, striking the vehicle. Fortunately, neither the passenger nor the Uber driver was injured in the incident.
Officers arrived at the scene and were met with the sound of additional gunfire. As they worked to determine the source of the shots, a new 911 call came in. It reported a burglary in progress on Oak Lane.
The caller reported that a man was attempting to break into the home and may have been armed. Officers surrounded the home, heard a second gunshot, and promptly began evacuating nearby residents to ensure their safety.
Police quickly discovered that Upshur had barricaded himself inside the residence. Mercer County’s Tactical Response Team then entered the home and successfully apprehended him.
Police believe that he intended to target Coon’s family.
“He intended to harm Ms. Coon even beyond the grave when he conveyed his murderous intentions to harm and take the lives of her family members in New Jersey, in Trenton,” Bucks County D.A. Jennifer Schorn explained.
According to police, family members reported ongoing domestic disputes between the couple in the days preceding the homicide. No injuries were reported during those incidents. Authorities have since recovered the firearm believed to have been used in Coon’s killing.
Upshur faces charges of criminal homicide in connection with the Bensalem killing. He will also face multiple counts of attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, and burglary related to the incidents in Trenton.