Woman Killed New Year’s Day Was Mother Of Three

People who knew 52-year-old Maria Perales say they were still in shock about what happened to the mother of three.

ABC-7 stopped by the scene of Sunday’s murder-suicide in the usually quiet Upper Valley street of Melody lane.

The owner of the property was there making sure no one went in.

A man who said he was related to Perales said she had three adult children.

Police say one of them, her 20-year-old daughter, was inside the mobile home when Perales was killed outside.

According to investigators, 64-year-old Juan Hernandez used a revolver to shoot Perales in the head after a confrontation on New Year’s Day.

Hernandez then turned the gun on himself.

Police said he had been “courting” Perales but added they were not romantically involved.

Perales was a waitress at “La Posadita” restaurant in Canutillo. No one there wanted to talk about her or her death.

Perales is El Paso’s first murder victim of 2011.