Texas man wanted for girlfriend’s murder kills himself at her memorial

A Texas man suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend shot himself Thursday after he was spotted stalking her memorial.

Juan Carlos Mata, 20, had been on the run from cops after allegedly shooting 19-year-old Lesley Reyes in the head outside her Pasadena apartment Monday.

He wasn’t seen until officers received a call at 5:49 a.m. for a suspicious person creeping around a “makeshift memorial” erected at the site he is accused of pulling the trigger.

Police arrived within 10 minutes and tried to make contact with Mata, but the alleged killer evaded arrest one last time.

“[Mata] went behind a car, retrieved a shotgun and committed suicide in front of our officer,” Pasadena Sgt. Raul Granados said at a press conference.

Police believe the gun was the same one he used to kill Reyes in what police are now calling a murder-suicide.

Mata was the only suspect after Reyes was fatally shot outside Oakwood Village Apartments around midnight Monday, Granados said.

Investigators said he waited outside her home for six hours before launching what police called an “ambush attack.”

Witnesses saw the pair arguing in the lot before shots rang out.

Investigators said Mata picked up Reyes’ phone and repeatedly cried to her mother that he was “sorry.”

Reyes’ parents then ran outside to find their daughter on the street.

Mata stayed on scene when police arrived, but disappeared as officers realized Reyes was dead, Granados said.

Police believe the suspected killer stayed in the area, but had ditched his phone, making it difficult for investigators to track him down.

Reyes’ family described Mata as “obsessed” with his victim and said their former relationship was “abusive” and “toxic.”

“She had broken up with him. There’s only one other documented incident, which was a disturbance from about a year ago. There was no instances of domestic violence that we investigated between them, but apparently he had been trying to contact her. She was trying to stay away from him,” said Granados.

Reyes’ family said Mata did not accept the break-up and would consistently text her and show up at her home in the month before he killed her.

“He didn’t want to see her with someone else,” Reyes’ sister, Lourdes Martinez, told ABC13. “He knew what he did. He knew what he did.”

“He didn’t just hurt my sister, he hurt our community. I know she had a lot of life ahead of her. She was just 19 years old.”

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.