A New Jersey man accused of bludgeoning a woman to death in Burlington County was charged after he became locked in a Philadelphia garage, leading to a standoff with police, authorities said Friday.
Andrew Kramer, 31, of Mantua, was charged late Thursday with murder and weapons offenses in the killing of Melissa Malcolm, who he was living with in Mount Laurel, according to Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina. Kramer had recently moved out at her request, the prosecutor said.
Police discovered Malcolm dead Wednesday afternoon in bed at her Mount Laurel Road home, where officers went to check on the 38-year-old after she didn’t show up for work, authorities said. She died from head injuries, an autopsy determined.
Kramer allegedly fled the killing in Malcom’s 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee and used her debit card to withdraw cash at convenience stores in Marlton and Brooklawn, according to the prosecutor, who said surveillance recordings captured Kramer driving the Jeep and making a transaction.
Later that day on the 1500 block of Brandywine Street in Philadelphia, Kramer asked a man for a ride to the city’s Kensington section, police said. When the man refused, Kramer pulled a handgun, according to authorities.
The man convinced Kramer to go inside a garage, locked the door and dialed 911, according to Cpl. Jasmine Reilly, a Philadelphia police spokeswoman.
“When officers opened a garage door, they observed [Kramer] who was holding a firearm under his chin,” the spokeswoman said. “The officers ordered the male to drop his weapon and the male refused to comply.”
After about 35 minutes of talking with Kramer, city police convinced him to put down his loaded .25-caliber semi-automatic handgun, authorities said.
The man Kramer allegedly threatened, Cole Fiory, told WPVI-TV the accused killer pulled a gun on him and said he was wanted by police. Fiory said he told Kramer to hide in the garage as a ruse while he tried to figure out how to get to safety.
“My main objective was just to get something between him and me, break that line of sight, so I could make a move and get away,” Fiory told the television station.
“I’d like to commend the individual whom the defendant confronted in Philadelphia, for his level-headed and resourceful response to this frightening encounter,” Coffina said in a statement. “I’d like to equally acknowledge the excellent work by the Philadelphia Police Department in their response to the scene and their successful de-escalation of the situation that ensured the defendant did not harm any of the responding officers or himself.”
Coffina said his office would seek to have Kramer returned to New Jersey for further court proceedings. He also faces charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and weapons violations in Philadelphia. It was not clear if he had retained an attorney.
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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
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