[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
A Florida man is facing second-degree murder charges after police say he shot and killed his girlfriend… and taunted her estranged husband with a video of her corpse.
Very early on Sunday morning, 48-year-old Alexander Roque (pictured above in his mugshot) was arrested by cops in Florida City, a far southwestern suburb of Miami. He had driven up to a police station in town just a few minutes before midnight on Saturday night, apparently with the intention of turning himself in for murder. In his white Hyundai Tucson SUV was the body of his deceased girlfriend, 44-year-old Yessenia Rodriguez Marquez. Per multiple local news reports, she had at least one bullet wound, and the inside of the car was covered in blood. OMG…
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Obviously alarmed, cops took immediate action. They detained Roque, cordoned off the car, and found a gun that they believed to be the murder weapon inside. Then, after taking him inside the station, they began to question him. According to the Florida City PD’s ensuing arrest affidavit, which was obtained on Tuesday by People, Roque admitted to police he’d shot and killed Marquez during a dispute.
But as disturbing as that act of senseless violence may be, he didn’t stop there. After shooting Marquez — and before driving over to the police station with the body — Roque allegedly made a video call to her estranged husband. The arrest affidavit states that in the call, which was made via the WhatsApp app, Roque panned the camera over to the front passenger seat of the vehicle where Marquez’s lifeless body was situated. He wanted to show the woman’s estranged husband what he’d done. Absolutely sickening. The unnamed man was able to save a screen recording of some of that video call, which he later handed over to detectives.
And as if that wasn’t enough, Roque allegedly copped to the killing a second time in a text to his cousin, too! The 48-year-old man reportedly sent a photo of Marquez’s dead body to the cousin, too! The shocked family member immediately sent back a text encouraging Roque to turn himself in. Then, to make sure, the cousin called police and reported the incident as well.
Learning all this after his arrival at the police station, cops arrested Roque and charged him with second-degree murder with a weapon. Currently, per WSVN, he is being held in Miami-Dade County Jail without bond.
And as if all that isn’t horrible enough, it somehow gets even worse!! What was the motive for this terrible killing, you may wonder? Disrespect!
No, seriously. Marquez’s mother spoke to NBC Miami about her daughter’s death. The woman — who that news outlet did not identify by name — claimed Roque told the victim’s estranged husband during the video call that he killed Yessenia because he was “a man” who “had to be respected” by her:
“He brutally murdered her there and then made a video call. In the video call, he told her that he was a man and that he had to be respected. And that’s why he killed Yessenia.”
WTF…
Marquez’s mother and sister-in-law stated the woman and her 12-year-old daughter arrived in Florida from Cuba about seven months ago. They also claim Marquez began seeing Roque earlier this year, but at some point he began holding them against their will. It remains to be seen if that allegation is true; cops have not charged Roque with kidnapping or anything like it yet. Regardless, Marquez’s tragic murder — and over something like disrespect, no less — is completely heartbreaking. You can see more on this case (below):
To learn more about the impact of gun violence, visit https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/.
[Image via Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center]
