Woman, 48, ‘beat her 32-year-old wife to death with a wine cooler days after gushing about their love’
A NEW Jersey woman has been accused of bludgeoning her wife to death with a wine chiller a week after gushing about her on social media.
Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus, 48, faces charges of murder and weapons offenses in the death of 32-year-old Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus, Ocean County prosecutors said in a news release Tuesday.
Cops found Rebecca's lifeless body on Sunday in an upstairs bedroom of the couple's apartment in .
Officers rushed to the residence in the Millbrook Manor complex after receiving reports of an unresponsive female, according to the release obtained by .
"The investigation further revealed that a cylindrical container used for the purpose of chilling wine was utilized in the commission of the murder," prosecutors said in the statement.
"The injuries sustained by Rebecca Gavilanez-Alectus were consistent with the implementation of this item."
An autopsy conducted the following day found that Rebecca's killing was a homicide, authorities said.
"Further investigation" revealed Mayra "did, in fact, cause the victim's death" and a warrant was issued for her arrest, the release said.
Investigators didn't reveal how they reached that conclusion.
Authorities confirmed that Mayra and Rebecca lived together, and Ocean County Prosecutors said "it is our understanding" that they were married.
Police had initially called Rebecca's killing a "suspicious death".
Law enforcement officials are now on the hunt for Mayra, who they suspect fled the apartment after the killing and is now considered a fugitive, a spokesman from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.
"Our focus now is to find Mayra Gavilanez-Alectus and bring her into custody," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a statement.
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A week before the killing, Mayra gushed on Facebook about the "uncountable ways" Rebecca had "made her life better".
"Mi amor gracias for all the uncountable ways you make this little crazy family...and my entire life better with every moment," the post read.
"[I'm] truly blessed that you are my wife."