An ex-beauty queen was fatally shot in her Mexico City apartment by her mother-in-law, who remains at large, according to authorities and family members.
Carolina Flores, a 27-year-old former beauty pageant titleholder from Baja California, was killed inside her Polanco neighborhood residence on April 15, 2026. Investigators say Erika Guadalupe Herrera Coriant, 63, allegedly fired multiple shots at Flores while she was wearing a bathrobe and slippers, with her hair still wet from a recent shower.
The shooting was captured on the apartment’s security cameras. Footage circulating online shows Herrera retrieving a gun from her pants pocket and firing at least seven times at Flores, who was speaking with her about a recent trip Erika had taken. The video also depicts Flores walking toward the laundry area before entering the kitchen, where the attack occurred.
Flores’ husband, Alejandro Sánchez Herrera, reported the incident to police one day after the shooting. He told Univision that his mother allegedly told him, “She stole you,” following the attack. Sánchez also said his mother’s behavior toward Flores changed after she became pregnant.
Flores, who was eight months pregnant at the time of her death, leaves behind an eight-month-old son. Her mother has publicly appealed for Herrera to turn herself in, breaking down in tears during interviews with local media.
Herrera, described by relatives as the primary suspect, is currently fugitive and facing a feminicide charge filed by Mexico City’s Attorney General’s Office. Authorities have launched a nationwide search for her.
The case has drawn widespread attention across Mexican news outlets, highlighting ongoing concerns about gender-based violence and familial abuse. Flores had been recognized in her home state for her beauty pageant achievements before her death.
