Police in California have arrested a man in connection with the shooting death of a Harrisburg woman in a hotel room.
Police on Saturday arrested Maurice Franklin Jr., 31, of Stockton, California, in the death of Di’Asia Sease, 22, who was found by employees in a second-floor room at a Best Western hotel in Modesto. Stockton is about 33 miles from Modesto.
“Through information gathered during the investigation, detectives were able to identify Franklin as the suspect,” police said in a news release. “With assistance from the Stockton Police Department, Franklin was successfully taken into custody during a traffic stop in Stockton.”
Investigators served a search warrant at his home and found two firearms along with additional evidence related to the crime, police said.
No motive was provided by police. It was unclear how Sease knew Franklin or why she was in Modesto.
Her social media accounts show she traveled a lot, and described herself as a digital content creator, or online influencer. Influencers typically have many people who “follow” them on social media for fashion, beauty or lifestyle tips.
Her father was killed by gun violence when she was a child, according to Carrie Small, a second cousin of Sease. Sease now leaves behind a 4-year-old daughter.
One of her last posts on Facebook, three days before she was killed, was about how she wanted to be successful and independent parent.
“She was very beautiful and fashionable. Always looked amazing and she loved her family,” Small said. “She loved to sing. She loved her daughter and was trying to do big things to make a good life for her… She was sweet as pie. With a positive attitude.”
Her mother started a fundraiser to help with the unexpected expenses of getting her daughter’s body back to Harrisburg and for funeral costs.
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