Man killed girlfriend in Bensalem hotel, then tried to harm her family in Trenton: Police

BENSALEM, Pa. (WPVI) -- A man is accused of shooting his girlfriend to death inside a hotel room in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, then fleeing to Trenton, New Jersey to harm her family.

The investigation began early Wednesday after 51-year-old Orenthia Upshur allegedly called a relative to say he shot his girlfriend in a Bensalem hotel room.

Officers were able to trace the cell phone of the victim, 49-year-old Maisha Coon, and began searching hotels in the area.

They eventually learned Coon had rented a room at the Sleep Inn along Street Road. They went to Coon's room and found her on the floor with apparent gunshot wounds.

Police say surveillance cameras captured Upshur leaving the hotel with a handgun in his pocket.

Around the same time, police responded to a 911 call of shots fired near the intersection of Parkside Avenue and Oak Lane in Trenton.

Police say an Uber passenger called to tell them a man was shooting from a pickup truck. Three gunshots were fired in the caller's direction, and while the vehicle was hit neither the caller nor the Uber driver were injured.

Officers arrived on the scene and heard additional gunshots. While they were trying to pinpoint the location of the gunfire, another 911 call came in reporting a burglary in progress on Oak Lane.

The caller said a man was trying to get into the home and was possibly armed.

Officers surrounded the home, heard another gunshot, and began evacuating residents in the area.

Police soon determined Upshur had barricaded himself inside the home. Mercer County's Tactical Response Team entered the building and took Upshur into custody.

Authorities say he was trying to harm 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," said Bucks County D.A. Jennifer Schorn.

Police say they recovered the gun that they believe was used to kill Coon.

No injuries were reported.

Upshur will be charged with criminal homicide for the killing in Bensalem.

He will also be charged with multiple accounts of criminal attempted homicide, aggravated assault on law enforcement officers and burglary for the incidents in Trenton.