Woman stalked, shot to death by ex-boyfriend in Levittown: police
Bucks County woman shot dead after breakup; Philly man charged with homicide
Police say a woman was found shot in the head and left for dead in her car on Outlook Lane in Bucks County, just a day after ending her relationship with a man from Philadelphia who is now facing charges.
PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia man is facing charges after police say he stalked and killed his ex-girlfriend who fled to Bucks County a day after she ended their relationship.
Yujun Ren, 32, told investigators he "accidentally" killed his girlfriend when he pulled a handgun from his waistband during a confrontation outside a home in Bristol.
What we know:
Ren turned himself in at Middletown Police Department on Sunday, admitting to police he shot Yuan Yuan Lu through the front driver's side window of her car.
Investigators found Lu's body with a fatal gunshot wound to the head inside a parked Hyundai on Outlook Lane, and a spent shell casing underneath the car.
Detectives later learned that Lu reported to police in Philadelphia that Ren had sexually assaulted her at his home in South Philadelphia on Saturday.
Yuan Yuan Lu was found with a gunshot wound to the head inside a car parked on a quiet residential street in Levittown.
She decided to end their relationship by silently leaving on Saturday, according to court documents, and blocked all communication with Ren.
"The victim reported she was afraid of [Ren] and mentioned he had a firearm he carried everywhere," a police affidavit reads.
Investigators say Ren has a concealed carry permit and has a 9mm handgun registered to his name through the Pennsylvania Record of Firearm Sales.
Timeline:
Using the license plate information from their two vehicles, investigators were able to outline how Ren stalked Lu moments before the deadly shooting.
Yujun Ren, 32, told investigators he "accidentally" killed his girlfriend when he pulled a handgun from his waistband during a confrontation outside a home in Bristol.
Court documents allege Ren tailed Lu in a Lexus through parts of Bristol Township and Levittown starting around 5:40 a.m., staying just seconds behind her.
What they're saying:
Ren told police investigators that he "accidentally killed his girlfriend" when he pulled a gun from his waistband to scare Lu after she allegedly said "hurtful things."
"[Ren] stated she said hurtful things and took their cars and dogs, so he took a gun out of his waistband to scare her and the gun discharged," court documents say.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan called the murder "a sobering reminder of the lethal nature of domestic violence."
"We are committed to seeking justice for the victim," Khan said.
Neighbors react to violence in their community
Local perspective:
Neighbors in the tight-knit Levittown community say they are shocked by what happened so close to home.
Peter Gevaras, a neighbor, said, "My wife heard a gunshot somewhere around 1:30 a.m. or something… or what she thought was a gunshot."
Another neighbor described the victim as "a young lady… very nice… really sad. So close to home for this to happen."
Residents say the couple seemed happy together, with one neighbor recalling, "Anytime I seen them they were always hugging each other or playing around… she’d jump on his back… never seen anything like that coming. It’s shocking."
Police say the incident has left the neighborhood shaken, with one resident saying, "We’ve got a good neighborhood… pretty much our neighbors are all great people so this was a tragic thing for all of us."
What's next:
Police say Ren is expected to face a judge at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday.