Man armed with metal pipes kills NJ woman in office, cops say

PHILADELPHIA — A 31-year-old New Jersey woman was beaten to death with two large metal pipes inside an office building on Wednesday afternoon

Philadelphia police said they were called to an office building located at 300 Chestnut St. in the Old City section for a robbery around 2:15 p.m.  When the officers arrived they found Samantha Maag, 31, of the Blenheim section of Gloucester, lying on the floor.

Police said witnesses directed officers to the eighth floor where they found Jeffrey Stepien, 49, of Philadelphia, holding two bloody metal pipes as he stepped off an elevator.

Maag was taken to a hospital were she was pronounced dead an hour later. Stepien was charged with murder and possession of an instrument of crime.

Police did not disclose the circumstances of Maag's death or the name of the business where the attack took place.

Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told 6 ABC Action News that Stepien and Maag may have argued in the past. Small said it appeared that Maag tried to defend herself during the attack.

What prompted the attack?

Police told Fox 29 Philadelphia that nearly two dozen people witnessed the attack and called 911.

A dispute over rent may have prompted the attack and the two may have argued in the past,  a police source told 6 ABC Action News.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ