Philly man wanted in shooting death of former girlfriend while she pumped gas near King of Prussia Mall
Rafiq Thompson, 38, of the 800 block of North 47th Street in West Philadelphia, who also goes by the alias Rafiek Muhamad, should be considered armed and dangerous, authorities said.
Montgomery County authorities issued an arrest warrant Saturday for a Philadelphia man who they say stalked and then shot to death a woman he had dated, shooting her while she was stopped for gas in King of Prussia on Friday night.
Rafiq Thompson, 38, of the 800 block of North 47th Street in West Philadelphia, who also goes by the alias Rafiek Muhamad, should be considered armed and dangerous, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a news release Saturday afternoon.
Thompson is wanted on charges of first-degree murder, person not to possess a firearm, and other offenses related to the killing of Tamara Cornelius, 31, while she pumped gas at an Exxon station on the 100 block of North Gulph Road shortly before 10:30 p.m. Friday.
According to the affidavit of probable cause for Thompson’s arrest, surveillance cameras at the King of Prussia Mall show Thompson and Cornelius meeting in the vestibule area of the Cheesecake Factory around 9:10 p.m. and walking toward the restaurant’s entrance. Around 9:45, Thompson is seen leaving the restaurant and heading toward a parking garage, the affidavit states. At 10:15, footage shows Cornelius leaving the restaurant and walking toward the same garage.
At 10:18., surveillance video shows Cornelius’ vehicle traveling through the intersection of North Gulph Road and Route 202 North, with Thompson’s vehicle following closely behind with its headlights off, the affidavit states.
Surveillance cameras at the Exxon station show Cornelius arriving at the station at 10:19 and Thompson pulling up and stopping directly behind her. As Cornelius begins to pump gas, Thompson gets out of his vehicle. According to the affidavit, he appears to be saying something to Cornelius and then raises his right arm and points a handgun at her and begins shooting.
”Cornelius, who was obviously struck, attempts to get away through the parking lot as she stumbles and falls several times. Thompson follows directly behind her continuing to shoot her,” the affidavit says.
She eventually collapses to the ground and Thompson stands over her briefly before walking back to his vehicle and fleeing, the affidavit says. Philadelphia police located the 2011 white Nissan Maxima registered to Rafiek Muhamad half a block from his last known address about an hour after the shooting, according to the affidavit.
Cornelius, whose address was not provided by authorities, was transported to Paoli Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at 11:09, authorities said.
Four 9mm cartridge casings were recovered at the gas station, where, according to the affidavit, one witness told detectives Cornelius, while lying on the ground, said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Another witness, according to the affidavit, said Thompson, after firing multiple shots, “shouted something to the effect of ‘I don’t care if I go to jail.’”
Authorities have not found the gun they allege Thompson used to kill Cornelius.
Authorities said Thompson was arrested in 2001 for aggravated assault and escape and was charged in 2007 for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Details of convictions related to those arrests were not immediately available Saturday.