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A pregnant woman was fatally shot and killed outside a Pennsylvania gas station Friday night. Her ex-boyfriend has been arrested, police said.
According to a news release, 31-year-old Tamara Cornelius was shot and killed on April 8 at around 10:22 p.m. at an Exxon gas station in Merion Township, Pennsylvania. After reports of gunshots, police arrived at the scene and found Cornelius’ body lying in the gas station parking lot. Authorities said she suffered from multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at Paoli Hospital.
Police said Cornelius spoke with her ex-boyfriend Rafiq Thompson, 38, on the phone at 9:11 p.m. before she had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. After the 31-year-old left the restaurant, she stopped at the King of Prussia gas station, and Thompson followed her.
Surveillance footage captured Thompson arguing with Cornelius as he pulled out a gun and shot Cornelius while she pumped gas into her car. The affidavit stated that she tried to run away, but the 38-year-old followed her and continued to shoot, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
One witness told police that he heard Cornelius had apologized to Thompson while lying wounded on the ground. Another witness recalled the shooter shouting to Cornelius that he didn’t care if he went to jail.
Thompson initially fled the scene, prompting District Attorney Kevin Steele to offer a $5,000 reward for his arrest. However, the suspect’s attorney, Laurence Narcisi, said his client had surrendered to police and was taken into custody.
While Cornelius’ family is grateful Thomason had been arrested, they’re struggling to cope with the loss of their beloved family member. Her aunt, Lisa Cornelius, said the mother of three previously dated Thompson for a few months last year. In addition, Cornelius was in a new relationship and four months pregnant with her current boyfriend’s child.
Lisa explained that the couple had just purchased a home in Philadelphia, filling the property with furniture while making long-lasting memories.
“Tamara was a beautiful person with a heart of gold,” she said. “We can’t understand why she’s gone. She had so much going for herself.”
Though the two had a close relationship, Lisa said she did not know Thompson had been stalking and harassing Cornelius for months and never informed the police.
“I wish I would’ve been able to talk to her, to tell her to get help,” her aunt said. “She didn’t have to go through this alone.”
According to reports, Thompson had a history of attacking former girlfriends after they split.
At the time of his arrest, Thompson was on probation for a 2018 aggravated assault conviction against a former girlfriend. He reportedly struck the woman with a van before charging at her with a knife after breaking up with him.
Court documents stated that Thompson had been harassing the woman, and he even set a mattress on fire in her backyard. As a result, the woman obtained a protection-from-abuse order against him before the 2016 attack.
Thompson faces multiple counts, including first- and third-degree murder, firearms violations, and related offenses in Cornelius’ death.
“This was a chilling murder of a young woman and her unborn child. We will be filing an additional homicide charge against the defendant—Murder of an Unborn Child,” said Steele.