NOT JUST A ROOMMATE

He Married Her—and Killed Her Days Later, Cops Say

Christina Maria Matos, 20, was found dead in her North Carolina apartment this week.

When Erick Gael Hernandez-Mendez was charged with murdering 20-year-old Christina Maria Matos, he was described as her roommate and long-time friend. But county records show that the suspect and victim were actually married just days before her body was found in the bedroom of her Raleigh, North Carolina, apartment. The News & Observer reports that Wake County Register of Deeds issued Matos and Hernandez-Mendez a marriage license on Feb. 12 and they tied the knot on March 29. Matos’ family says they last heard from her April 2 and when police went to the home to check on her on Tuesday, she was dead. No cause of death has been released, and police have not discussed a motive.