According to officials, a North Carolina police officer and his wife were found gunned death in their home during a wellness check, and a double homicide investigation is ongoing.
According to Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden, Officer Domingo Tavarez-Rodriguez did not show up to work on Friday, April 28.
Supervisors attempted to contact him via phone but were unable to do so, according to Braden. They went to the residence in person at 6 p.m.
“Once on scene, officers gained access to the residence and discovered two deceased individuals inside,” Braden said during an 11 p.m. press conference.
“The victims have been identified as Domingo Tavarez-Rodriguez, a Fayetteville police officer, and his wife, Yenitza Arroyo Torres,” Braden said. “Both victims had sustained gunshot wounds.”
Fayetteville Officer Domingo Tavarez-Rodriguez in uniform alongside a selfie of his wife, Yenitza Torres. Both were found dead in their home Friday with gunshot wounds
“My mother did not deserve to die this way; we are in so much pain; it was not her time to go,” Torres’ daughter, Doris Noemi, wrote on Facebook. “I try to remember her with her smile, but knowing I’m not going to talk to my mother ever again kills me.”
Attempts to reach her personally were futile.
Tavarez-Rodriguez, known to his pals as “Mingo,” will join the force in June 2021, according to the chief.
Prior to becoming a police officer, the 53-year-old had retired from the military.
“Domingo was a stand-up guy who always looked out for his family, friends, and soldiers,” a friend, Jason Torres, wrote on Facebook. “I’m grateful to have been able to serve with him in the U.S. Army. He was a great squad leader to me.”
