simple assault? homicide in commission of a crime is first degree murder in most states.
Wonder why they didn’t charge him with shoplifting? Perhaps they just thought he was shoplifting and he didn’t have anything... If so, where’s the commission of a crime? The assaults most likely happened after he was caught and the woman already dead.
Even if he was not the one who ran into her?
I think you are reading something into the story that is not there.
The common law rule is
felony= murder
misdemeanor= manslaughter