[PIC]County police investigate Route 1 hotel murder

Prince George’s County Police arrested two suspects Friday morning in connection with the death of a woman found in College Park, officials said.

At a press conference Friday afternoon, PGPD officials said they charged Washington resident Vaughn Bellamy, 23, with first and second degree murder and a gun charge for the murder of Catina Cortes, 25, and arrested 23-year-old Barry Foxx on charges of aiding Bellamy.

Police found Cortes’ body Tuesday afternoon while doing a welfare check at the Ramada Limited hotel in the 9100 block of Route 1. They found the woman on the second-story room with a fatal gunshot wound. Police believe Cortes may have died the previous evening said Maj. Cesar Pacheco, PGPD Criminal Investigation Division commander.

Police officials allege Bellamy met and killed Cortes at the hotel, where he planned to exchange money for sex. Foxx helped him “destroy or get rid of evidence and attempt to flee,” Pacheco said.

“This is a tragic reminder of the dangers of the sex trade,”said Sgt Dave Coleman, Officer in Charge of the Vice Intelligence Unit. “We want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that we’re here. …We want to help eliminate the sex trade in Prince George’s County to make it safe for the women involved in it to be not in it anymore, and be good for the businesses.”

PGPD previously arrested Cortes for prostitution and offered her opportunities out of the business, but she was unresponsive to the support, Coleman said.

The number of crimes pertaining to the sex trade in Prince George’s County fluctuates daily, Coleman said, but is no more dangerous or bigger than other areas. Overall, the county has seen improvements with the illegal activity.

Police identified Bellamy as a suspect after finding out he was the last person called on Cortes’ cellphone. Police arrested both Bellamy and Foxx at the latter’s home on Southern Avenue in Temple Hills, Maryland, on Friday morning. Inside the home, they found a handgun, which PGPD believe is the murder weapon.

“Mr. Bellamy was transported to our Criminal Investigation Division, where he was interviewed and made statements implicating his involvement with having had made contact with our victim that ultimately led to the murder,” Pacheco said.

Both suspects are in custody at the Department of Corrections. While Pacheco said police do not know Bellamy’s motive, they believe his relationship with Cortes did not extend past the sex trade.