The ex-boyfriend of a New Jersey mother with two young daughters has been charged with her murder after she went missing on Mother’s Day and was later discovered dead on the side of the road.
Gregory Mallard, 35, of Jersey City, was charged Friday with first-degree murder in the death of Norelis Mendoza, a 32-year-old “beautiful angel” with whom he had two kids.
Mendoza’s corpse was discovered Wednesday near Route 440 in Bayonne, according to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office.
“Nothing can bring Norelis back, but there is an amazing sense of relief,” said her cousin, Geovanni Molina, after Mallard’s arrest, according to the news outlet.
“The family would like to thank all the law enforcement agencies involved, especially the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, which did an amazing job.”
Molina said of the victim, “She had a heart of gold.
“She always gave people her best,” he said, adding that his cousin’s daughters are 1 and 3 years old.
Authorities determined that Mendoza had been out with Mallard late May 13 and that she did not return home.
Molina said Mendoza was aware of Mallard’s violent past.
He said the ex had been charged with domestic violence against Mendoza earlier this year — and believes she had filed for a restraining order against him but that he was unsure if it was still in effect.
The homicide is being investigated as an act of domestic violence, although prosecutors did not disclose details.
On Sunday night, Mendoza’s family attended a candlelight vigil in front of her mother’s Jersey City home.
“If you’re standing here, you’re family. We’ve got two little girls that we have to take care of,” Mendoza’s brother said, CBS News reported.
“All I ask for is for prayers and for guidance and that whatever these two little girls need, that we’ve got them,” added the sibling, who was not named.
A GoFundMe page titled “Fly High Beautiful Angel” raised more than $38,000 as of Monday.
“The family is finding solace that she is now with God. Our beloved Norelis found passion in helping others and dedicated her career to the medical field. Her smile was infectious. She was a beacon of light and would help anyone she could,” a relative wrote.
“We are left with her beautiful daughters and will raise them with her legacy of love and kindness. … She enjoyed being a mom and did everything for her daughters,” the post states.
“Mother’s Day is a joyous time to celebrate and her girls and family will forever live through the pain of what happened on this day,” it adds.
Mallard, who was in prison from Feb. 20, 2009, to June 7, 2020, also had convictions for distributing drugs on school property and possession dating to 2006, according to New Jersey Department of Corrections records.