LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man has officially been charged with homicide after a Dunmore woman was found shot in the head inside the bedroom of her Dunmore home.
37-year-old Maxwell Hawkins has been charged with criminal homicide in the death of 36-year-old Nicole Vega.
On January 3, police were called to the unit block of Veterans Drive in Dunmore just before 11:30 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive woman. Hawkins was found in the kitchen of the home "visibly intoxicated and acting extremely erratic," police reported.
According to court documents, Hawkins was asked what happened to which he replied that "his wife cheated on him and he found her in the state she was in."
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Officers said they asked Maxwell several times where the victim was and he eventually directed them upstairs where they found Vega's body in a bed near a large pool of blood. A handgun was also located near Vega's body.
Hawkins admitted to handling the gun after discovering Vega and leaving it upstairs where three children were located in the room next door, investigators stated.
Hawkins, who was intoxicated and wearing blood-stained clothing, claimed Vega had taken her own life, however, an autopsy ruled the death a homicide. Investigators determined the gunshot trajectory did not match Hawkins’ claims, and no evidence of self-inflicted injuries was found.
Surveillance footage, witness interviews, and forensic evidence further contradicted Hawkins' statements. Police also uncovered text messages revealing Hawkins's anger over Vega's alleged affair.
Authorities say three children were in the home near the room where Vega was found, along with marijuana accessible to them. Maxwell was initially charged with child endangerment.
Maxwell was originally charged with endangering the welfare of children and public drunkenness.
