A New Jersey girl and her mother were fatally shot by the woman’s boyfriend before he turned the gun on himself, Hamilton police said.
Officers found the bodies of Evangelina Velasquez, 10, her mother, 42-year-old Claribel Torres, and Torres’ boyfriend, 42-year-old Fernando Mercado, inside Mercado’s residence at around 4 a.m. on June 5.
Two other children were found in the home, unharmed.
Evangelina’s father said he had been concerned about his daughter’s safety and was waiting for an upcoming court hearing.
“I went to child services for a very long time, and it was always one court after another; they kept rescheduling,” he said.
The father revealed in a GoFundMe page that Eva was “murdered by her stepfather while defending her mother and brothers.”
“Eva was the oldest sister, just beginning to rise, loved by everyone, and will be missed by friends and family, and never forgotten. I love and miss my baby forever.”
