A New Jersey man is reportedly facing a murder charge after his fiancée was killed the morning after he shared a video which appears to show him publicly proposing to her.
On Monday, Dec. 30., 2024 at approximately 9:12 a.m. local time, Elizabeth Police Officers headed to “a residence on Florida Street in response to a report of a stabbing,” per a news release shared by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday, Jan. 2.
“Upon their arrival, they located Naket Jadix Trinidad Maldonado, age 31 of Elizabeth, who was found dead at the scene,” the release, which was also shared on Instagram, added.
Jose Melo, 52, also of Elizabeth, has been charged “with one count of first-degree murder, one count of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and one count of fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon,” the Union County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed.
Melo and the victim were engaged, per Fox 5 New York.
A video posted on Melo’s Facebook page seemingly taken on Dec. 29. appeared to show him proposing in a bar as the song “Cásate Conmigo” by Silvestre Dangond and Nicky Jam played in the background.
“I love you baby,” Melo captioned the video, tagging what appeared to be Trinidad Maldonado’s Facebook profile.
A GoFundMe page set up by the victim’s aunt, Yolanda De, said she had been “senselessly taken from us” in “an act of evil.”
“This horrible act by someone she trusted left her two children without either parent and with very little options for their future,” the description read.
“I am also doing all I can to ensure her young daughters are safe and have the things they need,” the victim’s aunt added, stating that her “heart breaks” as she shared the news.
In an update on Jan. 3., Trinidad Maldonado’s aunt thanked the public for their support, assuring people that the victim’s children were “safe and being taken care of by family” as “permanent arrangements are being worked out.”
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Per the GoFundMe page, the victim’s funeral will be held in Florida and she’ll be buried at her home in Puerto Rico.
The page had raised almost $27,400 of a $35,000 target as of Tuesday, Jan. 7.
The Elizabeth Police Department and the Union County Prosecutor’s Office didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for an update.
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