A New Jersey woman’s engagement video was shared on Facebook, and the next day, she was dead

Content warning: This article describes intimate partner violence. Please take care while reading.

A New Jersey man has been charged with stabbing and killing his fiancée one day after he shared a video on Facebook that seemed to show him proposing to her.

On Dec. 30, Elizabeth, NJ, police responded to reports of a stabbing. Authorities found Naket “Naky” Jadix Trinidad Maldonado, 31, an Elizabeth resident, dead at the scene, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office. On Jan. 2, Jose Melo, 52, who had reportedly proposed to Trinidad Maldonado one day earlier, was charged with killing her. So far, a motive for the alleged crime has not been determined.

The day before Trinidad Maldonado died, according to prosecutors, Melo shared a Facebook video that seemed to show him down on one knee proposing to her at a nightclub. Melo captioned the post, “I love you, baby,” the song “Casate Conmigo (Marry Me)” plays in the background, and Melo slips a ring on her finger and says “I love you” in Spanish as the crowd cheers in the background.

Trinidad Maldonado seems shocked in the post, and the couple kiss and embrace, but it’s unclear if or when she said yes. One unconfirmed X comment speculated, “In the proposal video, Naket Jadix does not appear to be overjoyed, she barely smiles. I think she may have been surprised by the marriage proposal, had doubts, but did not want to embarrass her boyfriend.”

Melo is a registered sex offender

According to the New Jersey State Sex Offender Registry, Melo is a registered sex offender convicted in 2010 of “threatening a female with a box cutter” and sexually assaulting her. So far, Melo and Trinidad Maldonado’s relationship status or timeline has not been reported.

According to a GoFundMe established by the victim’s family, Trinidad Maldonado had two children and her relatives live in Florida but are “doing all they can.” The post said, “Naky was senselessly taken from us on December 30 in an act of evil. This horrible act by someone she trusted left her two children without either parent and with very little options for their future.”

A GoFundMe update says Trinidad Maldonado’s memorial services will be held in New Jersey and Florida, and she’ll be buried in her native Puerto Rico. Comments congratulated Melo when he first shared the video. “OMG Manito..!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS  Wish u guys the best,” one said.

But the tone changed in Melo’s comment section after Trinidad Maldonado was found dead. “Extremely shocked and confused. No idea what happened between that night and the next morning. No reason to take anyone’s life. Sad that a lot of people lives are ruined especially their kids. RIP flaca ,” a comment added. “How could a man love a woman then kill her wth is happening in this world RIP Beautiful Queen ,” another said.

It’s unclear if Melo has legal representation or when he’s expected to appear in court. He has not yet entered a plea. “Due to this being a homicide, things take MUCH longer than a regular death,” for information to come out, Trinidad Maldonado’s GoFundMe page explained.

If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or if you believe someone you know is being abused, contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-SAFE or spoken with online via the hotline’s website. Mobile phone owners can also text “START” to the number 88788