A New Mexico police cadet was allegedly murdered by her own husband in a suspected murder-suicide, leaving the couple’s young son without his parents, KOAT-TV reports.
Shortly after 4 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to an apartment in northeast Albuquerque for a report of a disturbance and found two adults dead inside the unit. Investigators concluded that 41-year-old Briton Hagan shot and killed his wife, 32-year-old Taylor Hagan, before committing suicide.
The couple’s 8-year-old son was found with a neighbor. It was not clear whether the boy had been in the family’s apartment during the time of the murder-suicide.
Officials said Taylor Hagan had been participating in the Albuquerque Police Department’s academy and had already completed 17 weeks of the 26-week program.
“Taylor was working hard to meet the challenges of becoming an APD officer,” Albuquerque Police Chief Medina said in a news release, according to the Albuquerque Journal. “She chose to serve the community as a police officer and keep the community safe. My sincere condolences go out to her family and loved ones on behalf of the entire APD family.”
A color guard escorted Taylor Hagan’s body when it was brought to the medical examiner’s office. Her parents have petitioned to be legal guardians of their grandson.
The police department urged community members to seek help if dealing with domestic violence.
“Domestic violence tends to increase during the holidays,” police spokesperson Gilbert Gallegos told the Albuquerque Journal. “If someone is in immediate danger, we urge them to leave or have someone they can trust stay with them and call a crisis hotline for assistance, location of a women’s shelter, counseling and crisis intervention.”
If you or someone you know faces domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
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[Feature Photo: Taylor Hagan/Facebook]
