Authorities are investigating an apparent murder-suicide in New Jersey, United States, after a man allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend and her daughter before taking his own life.
Evangelina Velasquez, 10, was with her mother, Claribel Torres, 42, and Fernando Mercado, 42, when Hamilton police officers found the three dead inside Mercado’s home after responding to a 911 call around 4 a.m., NJ.com reported, citing police.
All three were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Mercer County District Attorney’s Office.
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Our community is mourning an unimaginable tragedy that has resulted in the untimely deaths of three people, including a 10-year-old girl,” borough Mayor Jeff Martin told NJ.com.
“On behalf of the Township of Hamilton, I extend my prayers to their families, friends, and neighbors.”
Evangelina’s father, Bladimir Velasquez, said two other children were also in the home at the time of the shooting, but were not injured, CBS News reported
Bladimir said he was already worried about his daughter’s safety and was waiting for her court date, according to the outlet.
“I went to child services for a long time, and it was always one court hearing after another; they kept changing the date,” he said.
Bladimir told CBS that her daughter, a fourth-grader at Foundation Academy Charter School in Trenton, loved to swim and was always determined.
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She was always very smart, a strong fighter, ever since she was born, always active, never stopped moving,” he said, according to the outlet, adding that she always knew what she wanted. “
If we were at Disneyland and she wanted to go on that ride and not this one, no matter what anyone said, she would follow her instinct.”
Bladimir started a GoFundMe to raise money for his 10-year-old daughter’s funeral expenses.
“She was murdered by her stepfather while defending her mother and siblings ,” he wrote in the post. “ Eva was the big sister, just starting to grow up, loved by everyone, and will be missed and never forgotten by her friends and family. I love and miss my baby forever.”
