WALLACE, N.C. — A Wallace man has been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting in the Wallace Mobile Home Park Lane area, authorities said.
40-year-old Melvin Cruz Morales was charged with murder following the investigation by the Wallace Police Department (WPD). Investigators located Morales in Harnett County and, in coordination with the Harnett County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, took him into custody.
Morales is accused of shooting Iliana Gómez on Sunday, Dec. 14. WPD said officers responded to reports of shots fired and found Gómez with gunshot wounds. Deputies began life-saving measures until EMS arrived, but she was pronounced dead at the scene.
“[Gómez] is survived by two juvenile daughters,” WPD wrote on Facebook. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this incredibly difficult time.”
Morales is being held in Duplin County as the investigation continues.
