Only days after a public proposal to his girlfriend, a DJ allegedly stabbed his girlfriend to death, leaving their children without parents.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Jose Melo, 52, decided that a showy proposal was the way to go as he asked Maldonado to marry him. In the video posted to Facebook, he is seen getting down on one knee in a busy nightclub. Te Amo, he says to her, opening the box on a large engagement ring.
She stands agape, as music plays, and the crowd cheers their happy day. She says yes, kissing him as he slides the ring on her finger.
However, this proposal came only days before Maldonado was found stabbed to death in the home of her fiancée. Police were called to Melo's home in New Jersey on Monday where they found the mother of two dead at the scene.
A Proposal From A Convicted Felon
Consequently, Melo was arrested. It is suspected that he stabbed his fiancée just days after the proposal. Her body was found in his apartment, furthermore, he already has a criminal record for violence against women with a sharp blade.
In 2010, Melo was convicted of threatening a woman with a box cutter and sexually assaulting her. This led him to become a registered sex offender. As a result, he has been registered as a tier two sex offender, considered a moderate risk.
Family and friends of Maldonado are devastated to find that their loved one was stabbed just after the proposal. Tragically, she has left behind two young children, with little family to take care of them at the present time. Since then, her Aunt has reached out for help.
"This horrible act by someone she trusted left her two children without either parent and with very little options for their future. She has no family here in NJ and her family in Florida is doing all they can," she writes.
This is a tough situation for the young children to be in. They have consequently lost both a mother and a father after he was arrested and she was stabbed just days after the proposal. But, due to the kindness of people, they have managed to raise over $26,000. This will go towards the two girls and her funeral.
