A man was found dead early Saturday morning in the parking lot of Spin City Laundry on North Classen Boulevard in northwest Oklahoma City, in a killing that has left neighbors stunned and business owners rattled. Surveillance video from the laundromat appears to show someone walking up to a person sleeping outside and striking him with a cinder block, according to law-enforcement accounts. Officers spent hours working the scene as investigators collected evidence and chased down leads.
Police say security video quickly led to a suspect
MSgt. Gary Knight of the Oklahoma City Police Department said officers discovered injuries consistent with a homicide and confirmed the attack was captured on camera. Investigators say the cinder block used in the assault was left at the scene and helped detectives zero in on a person of interest. According to KOCO, officers later took a suspect into custody after following leads developed from that surveillance footage.
Victim identified in court documents
Court filings obtained by The Oklahoman identify the victim as 59-year-old Cap Trung Nguyen. The documents state Nguyen had been asleep in front of the laundromat when a person approached and beat him with a cinder block. The Oklahoman also published video of a friend of Nguyen reacting to the killing.
Suspect jailed on first-degree murder complaint
Detectives arrested 35-year-old James Upshaw on a complaint of first-degree murder, according to the Oklahoma City Free Press. Upshaw was booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center while investigators continue compiling evidence for the district attorney's office. Authorities have not released any information about a possible motive and say formal charges will be decided after prosecutors review the case.
Grief, fear and questions along North Classen
Video published by The Oklahoman shows a friend of Nguyen visibly shaken and urging anyone with information to come forward. Police told reporters it is not yet clear whether Nguyen and Upshaw knew one another and noted that both men appeared to be experiencing homelessness at the time, according to KOCO. Nearby business owners say the killing has renewed long-standing worries about safety along North Classen and the block around NW 30th Street.
What happens next in the case
Police have asked anyone with information to call the Oklahoma City Police Department homicide tip line at (405) 297-1200, as reported by the Oklahoma City Free Press. The arrest came as detectives continue to process evidence from the scene and share it with prosecutors, who will decide on formal charges. The Free Press noted this killing was recorded as Oklahoma City’s 38th homicide of the year, as authorities work to determine what led to the deadly attack.
