Mercer Man Kills Girlfriend In PA Hotel, Flees To Trenton To Attack Family: Cops

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — A Mercer County man shot his girlfriend in a Pennsylvania hotel room Wednesday morning and then fired his gun at several people in Trenton while looking for her family in the West Ward neighborhood, authorities said.

Orenthia Upshur, 51, faces charges in Bucks County and New Jersey in the fatal shooting of 49-year-old Maisha Coon, the Bensalem Township Police and the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.

On Wednesday, someone identifying themselves as a family member went to the Pennsylvania State Police Trevose Barracks at 5 a.m., stating that Upshur had shot Coon.

Bensalem Public Safety Director William McVey said that tip led police on a search of hotels in the area to try and find the couple who authorities said had a recent argument.

State Police obtained information from Coon's cellphone in the area of Country Commons Apartments and then coordinated with Bensalem Police for a search of all of the area's hotels.

"Thankfully, the woman was on the registry at the Sleep Inn," McVey said.

Officers found Coon dead from gunshot wounds with three bullet casings found in the hotel room near her body and that one bullet had shot through the floor and into another hotel room below.

According to police, Upshur left the hotel around 12:50 a.m. Wednesday and surveillance footage showed he had what appeared to be a firearm, McVey said.

At around 4:30 a.m., a 911 call in Trenton reported shots fired near the intersection of Parkside Avenue and Oak Lane.

Police officers arrived and heard more shots, then saw an armed man run into a home. More shots were fired from inside as police surrounded the house, authorities said.

The Mercer County Tactical Response team was able to take Upshur into custody. A handgun recovered at the scene is believed to be the weapon that killed Coon, authorities said.

Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said Upshur had "murderous intentions" against Coon's family following the hotel shooting.

"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," Schorn said.

The incident is still under investigation with authorities expected to file homicide and related charges, authorities said.

Schorn said that an extradition hearing decision would be made on what law enforcement agency would prosecute Upshur first.

Upshur remains in custody in Trenton and would need to be extradited to Bucks County.

(With reporting from Dino Ciliberti, Patch Staff)

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