Yuan Yuan Lu Killed After Reporting Sexual Assault; Boyfriend Yujun Ren Charged with Homicide in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

A Philadelphia-area woman who reported being sexually assaulted just hours earlier was shot and killed outside her residence in Levittown, and her boyfriend, Yujun Ren, is now charged with her death, authorities said.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Sunday, Feb. 8, that Yujun Ren has been charged with criminal homicide, possession of an instrument of crime, and stalking in connection with the killing of Yuan Yuan Lu.

According to prosecutors, Lu reported a sexual assault to the Philadelphia Police Department on Saturday night and attempted to end her relationship with Ren. Investigators say that in the early morning hours the following day, Ren allegedly began stalking her vehicle, tracked her to Bucks County, and shot her while she was sitting inside her car.

Ring camera footage obtained by NBC10 reportedly shows Lu driving a white SUV around 5 a.m. Sunday, with Ren following closely behind in a silver sedan.

Police later responded around 12:30 p.m. to a vehicle in Bristol Township, where officers found Lu seated in the driver’s seat suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

“All we know is that there was some kind of domestic relationship,” said Bristol Township Police Sgt. Jason Mancuso. “The relationship had taken a turn for the worst, and the victim had come back to her residence in Bucks County.”

Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan called the killing a stark reminder of the dangers of domestic violence.

“Today’s tragic event is a sobering reminder of the lethal nature of domestic violence,” Khan said. “We have successfully taken the defendant into custody, and the community is safe.”

Lu’s cousin, Natalie Truong, told WPVI-TV that Lu and Ren had been dating for nearly a year and that Lu was trying to leave the relationship.

“All she wanted to do was leave. Just to leave him,” Truong said. “I want them to remember her as a really happy, strong girl. She wouldn’t want to be seen just as a victim.”

Ren was arraigned on Sunday and denied bail, according to WPVI-TV. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 10. The investigation remains ongoing.