A man has been arrested after allegedly stabbing his fiancée to death inside her New Jersey home, just a day after he asked her to marry him.
Naky Trinidad’s family was so excited when they saw video on social media of her engagement just before New Year’s. But their happiness soon turned into horror.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: US man accused of stabbing fiancee to death the day after proposing to her.
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Prosecutors allege that mere hours after popping the question, 52-year-old Jose Melo stabbed the 31-year-old to death in her home in Elizabeth on Decemeber 30.
“We’re talking to her the night before, congratulating her on Facebook for getting engaged. And when she didn’t reply, it struck a chord with us because its not like her,” Trinidad’s uncle Brian told NBC New York in a telephone interview. “We found out the next day she was taken, everyone is devastated.”
Trinidad used to live with her uncle. Now, he’s helping bury her over the weekend.
“It’s celebrating her life, not mourning her death. She was awesome,” her uncle said.
Trinidad left behind two daughters: one of whom will soon turn 4, the other 10 years old.
Investigators have yet to reveal a motive in the killing, but loved ones say they never picked up on any relationship problems.
“We would’ve told her to get away, we would’ve done what we had to do. There’s plenty of room in our home, she would’ve come here. But she never said a word — she suffered in silence,” said Brian.
Her family set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for Trinidad’s two daughters, as a memorial grows outside the home where she lost her life.
“Anybody that is dealing with domestic violence – do not stay silent, this is where it leads,” her uncle told NBC New York.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
In an emergency, call 000.
Advice and counselling for men concerned about their use of family violence: Men’s Referral Service, 1300 766 491.
Adam Harding
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