Maria Roque, a 34-year-old woman, was shot multiple times in front of her 14-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter outside her home. Roque had just put her daughter into a rental car when she saw a man, suspected to be her ex-boyfriend Kenneth Brown, 44, approaching.
Roque attempted to flee, but Brown shot her in the shoulder, chest, and thumb, according to a police report. Brown was immediately suspected as he had violated an order of protection meant to keep him away from Roque and their daughter. A day before Roque’s death, a warrant had been issued for Brown’s arrest for breaching the order, which was granted after Roque accused Brown of assaulting her and making threats. Relatives stated that Brown’s violent behavior had intensified since Roque ended their relationship weeks earlier.
The order had initially been valid until November 28 but was extended to December 13, the day Roque was shot. Tragically, a new order of protection was granted against Brown through January on the same day Roque was murdered, rendering it ineffective. Brown was arrested on December 29 and charged with first-degree murder for fatally shooting Roque after being identified as the suspect.
Nearly $15,000 has been raised through a GoFundMe campaign to assist with the funeral costs of Roque