A 42-year-old New Jersey mom fatally shot her husband, their two young daughters and then herself in a murder-suicide this week — just as their suburban home was being foreclosed on, prosecutors said.
Andrea Alarcon killed hubby Ruben Alarcon, 51, as well as daughters Scarlett, 9, and Emma, 6 before turning the weapon on herself inside the family’s Lincrest Terrace home in Union, according to the Union County Prosecutor’s Office and an online obituary.
Local sheriffs showed up at the home to serve an eviction notice around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday when they found all four victims with mortal gunshot wounds, according to officials and a WNBC report.
The murder weapon was located near the woman’s body, leading investigators to conclude that she was responsible for the deadly domestic violence, according to prosecutors.
The home was sold for $322,000 at a November sheriff’s sale, the news station reported, adding that the family – who had lived there for 15 years – had 60 days to leave or get the boot.
“In tragedies of this magnitude, there are no words that can heal, nor explanations that can serve to make sense of them to the public,” Union County Prosecutor William Daniel said in a statement. “Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of these victims and to the Union community as a whole in the wake of this horrible event.”
Union Police Director Christopher Donnelly described the family’s deaths as “a deeply tragic event that has shaken our community to its core.”
“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of the victims,” Donnelly said.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
