Opinion
Philly pipe-attack suspect seen on video with pipes day before deadly beating, police say
The suspect accused of beating a girl to loss of life with a steel pipe at a Philadelphia workplace constructing Wednesday afternoon was allegedly captured on video the earlier evening with what gave the impression to be two pipes in his hand, based on a report.
The suspect, Jeffrey Stepien, 49, was allegedly seen on Ring doorbell footage outdoors an condominium constructing within the metropolis’s Bridesburg district for about 90 minutes Tuesday evening, FOX 29 Philadelphia reported.
A former landlord recognized Stepien from the footage and mentioned he used to dwell on the condominium years in the past, based on the station.
Lower than 24 hours after the video was recorded, Stepien was accused of beating to loss of life Samantha Maag, 31, in entrance of horrified witnesses on the eighth flooring of the Regus constructing in Philadelphia’s Previous Metropolis neighborhood simply after 2 p.m., police mentioned.
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Jeffrey Stepien, 49, is allegedly seen pacing outdoors a Bridesburg condominium constructing in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, FOX 29 reported.
(FOX 29 Philadelphia)
Stepien, who rented workplace house on the eighth flooring, was charged with homicide Thursday, authorities mentioned. He’s accused of strolling up behind Maag as she sat within the reception space on the identical flooring and attacking her, based on police.
Maag, described by coworkers as a “staff chief,” was struck no less than 5 occasions within the head, police mentioned. The sufferer additionally had defensive wounds to her arms and palms.
She was taken to a hospital and died shortly after arrival, based on authorities.
It’s believed that Stepien and Maag knew one another and had argued previously, police mentioned. A regulation enforcement supply instructed FOX 29 that investigators are additionally seeing whether or not Stepien was dwelling within the rented workplace house after being instructed that was not allowed.
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After the brutal beating, police arrived to seek out the suspect getting off an elevator lined in blood and carrying a bag with two-foot-long bloody steel pipes, FOX 29 reported.
A minimum of 15 calls to 911 have been made after the alleged assault.
“Individuals screaming, individuals hiding beneath desks, [a] individual with a weapon. It was positively a really violent, tragic incident that in all probability lasted longer than your regular murder when somebody will get shot,” Philadelphia police Chief Inspector Scott Small instructed reporters.
Bridesburg is about 7 miles northeast of Previous Metropolis.
