Woman run over 4 times, beaten to death with shovel, police say

PHILADELPHIA -- A suspect is behind bars for what's being described as a gruesome and horrific crime.

Witnesses say it was on the 800 block of Louden Street where a woman was run over by a man at least four times before he beat her over the head with a shovel.

It was 8:30 p.m. Sunday, many of the residents along West Louden and Franklin streets were out for a block party.

One woman, who asked not to have her name released, said she was home when she heard what sounded like a crash.

"I was in my house, just got finished eating, and all of a sudden I heard this loud boom," she said.

She peered out the window and was one of the few to witness a horrific crime taking place in the dimly lit lot across the street.

"I thought it was a car accident. It wasn't until the driver backed up his car then I saw the lady laying in the lot and he just kept running the car over her," she said.

But the suspect wasn't done with his gravely injured victim, identified only as a woman in her 30s.

"After he got done doing that, he went to his trunk and got a shovel and just started hitting her over the head with it. She was screaming like she was waving her hands like 'no, no, no,' and he just kept going running her over," the witness said.

Philadelphia police confirm that they responded to reports of a woman screaming last night.

They arrived on the scene to find the woman still pinned under the white 2012 Nissan Maxima.

The suspect, witnesses say, was relaxed, almost unbothered.

Ray Torres, a witness said, "He was just like nonchalant. Like walking around acting like nothing happened basically it looked like to me like he had the right to do that."

The woman was rushed to Einstein Medical Center where she was pronounced dead around 9:45 p.m.

Another witness says she overheard the suspect initially tell police it was all just an accident.

"He's going to tell the officer that it was an accident. That was not accident. You intentionally did that," said the witness.

Philadelphia Police agree. She says though she's relieved the suspect is in custody, she struggles to push the horrific images out of her mind.

"I was froze, like, I got the image in my head and it will stay in my head," she said.

Witness tell Action News that they believe the two were in a relationship, but police say they have not confirmed that connection.

So far, no charges have been filed as police continue their investigation.