M.E. rules on pregnant woman's death

The city Medical Examiner's Office has ruled that Tovoyia Owens' death was a homicide, police said.

The 21-year-old pregnant woman died of blunt impact trauma to the neck after she and her boyfriend were assaulted by two men outside the Philadelphia Traffic Court building at 8th and Spring Garden streets shortly before 2 p.m. yesterday.

Police said Owens, who had a 3-year-old daughter, was knocked unconscious during the assault. She was pronounced dead at Hahenmann University Hospital.

One man was taken into custody yesterday, but he was later released and not charged with any crimes, a homicide investigator said. Much of the assault was filmed by nearby surveillance cameras. Detectives are in the process of trying to identify the men who were shown on tape, the investigator said.

Tipsters can contact the Homicide Unit at 215-686-3334 or -3335.