A 20-year-old man from Texas, Juan Carlos Mata, allegedly shot and killed his 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, Lesley Reyes, before tragically ending his own life at the crime scene, Your Content has learned.
The incident occurred at the Oakwood Village Apartments in Pasadena, Texas.
Authorities had been actively seeking Mata in connection with Reyes’ murder when a 911 caller reported seeing him at the complex on Thursday.
Upon receiving the call, a police officer arrived at the scene approximately 10 minutes later and attempted to engage Mata in conversation.
However, the 20-year-old took cover behind a parked vehicle, retrieved a shotgun, and fatally shot himself in front of the officer.
Mata succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Law enforcement officials have indicated that the shotgun used in Mata’s suicide could potentially be the same weapon used in Reyes’ murder.
According to police reports, Reyes, who had just finished her shift at O’Reilly Auto Parts, was ambushed by Mata in the apartment complex’s parking lot late Monday night.
Witnesses reported that Mata had been lying in wait for several hours.
After a verbal altercation, Mata allegedly shot Reyes in the head before fleeing the scene.
Reyes’ sister, Lourdes Martinez, disclosed that Mata’s motivation for the attack stemmed from his unwillingness to see Reyes with another partner.
The parents of the victim, who were present at home during the incident, heard the gunshots.
Reyes’ mother, unaware that her daughter had just been shot, called her to express concern.
Mata, in possession of Reyes’ phone, tearfully apologized to her mother.
When Reyes’ parents rushed outside, they discovered their daughter’s lifeless body in the parking lot.
Following the murder, Mata became a person of interest in the case, prompting a manhunt by the police.
However, no formal charges had been filed against him at the time of his suicide.
Sgt. Raul Granados from the Pasadena Police Department revealed that they had released Mata’s photograph to the public in hopes of obtaining information.
Unfortunately, no significant leads were obtained before Mata returned to the crime scene.
Reyes’ family attested to the troubled nature of her relationship with Mata, describing it as toxic and mentioning his obsession with his ex-girlfriend.
According to Martinez, Reyes’ sister, Mata had physically abused Reyes during their time together, but this information came to light only after the breakup.
While police records indicated a documented disturbance involving Mata and Reyes from a year ago, no investigations into domestic violence between the two had been conducted by the authorities, according to New York Post.