Philadelphia Man Wanted for Murdering Pregnant Ex-Girlfriend at Gas Pump, Prosecutors Say

A Philadelphia man remains on the loose after prosecutors said he gunned down his ex-girlfriend and her unborn child at a King of Prussia gas station Friday night.

UPDATE: Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office announced the arrest of Rafiq Thompson in a press release Wednesday. Thompson turned himself in to police, and is charged with First-Degree Murder, Person Not to Possess a Firearm, Possessing an Instrument of Crime and related charges.

In a press release, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office (MCDAO) announced that Rafiq Thompson, 38, is wanted for the first-degree murder of 31-year-old Tamara Cornelius, who WCAU reported was a mother of three. District Attorney Kevin Steele said he intended to file an additional charge of murder of an unborn child and the MCDAO is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Thompson’s arrest.

Prosecutors said Thompson shot Cornelius multiple times as she pumped gas at an Exxon in Upper Merion Township, about 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Officers with the Upper Merion Township Police Department (UMTPD) were dispatched to the scene at 113 North Gulph Road at 10:22 p.m. and discovered Cornelius wounded. “She was transported to Paoli Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:09 p.m,” the release stated.

Citing a joint investigation by the Montgomery County Detective Bureau and the UMTPD, Prosecutors asserted that Thompson and Cornelius had spoken for a short time at 9:11 p.m., a little over an hour before the shooting. Following the conversation, Cornelius went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and subsequently left the restaurant at 10:15 p.m. She drove to the Exxon for gas after retrieving her vehicle from the parking garage and Thompson followed her, prosecutors said. As Cornelius pumped gas, “Thompson stepped out of his car, spoke to the victim and then shot her multiple times, continuing as she attempted to run away,” the release stated.

The Chester County Coroner’s Office conducted an autopsy Monday that found Cornelius was pregnant. The autopsy determined her death was a homicide by gunshot wounds.

“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 Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele in the release. 

Authorities say Thompson is a 5′-7″ black man weighing approximately 167 pounds. Citizens are urged to contact 911 immediately if they see Thompson as he is considered armed and dangerous. He is also wanted on the charge of a person not to possess a firearm, the MCDAO said.