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Parents say daughter found dead in Raleigh apartment was happy, hardworking

The parents of a young woman found dead at her apartment near N.C. State University over the weekend described their daughter as happy and hardworking.

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By
Amanda Lamb
, WRAL reporter, Kirsten Gutiérrez, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — The parents of a young woman found dead at her apartment near N.C. State University over the weekend described their daughter as happy and hardworking.
Gerardo and Yolanda Matos spoke exclusively to WRAL News on Monday about their daughter's death, which Raleigh police are investigating as a homicide.

The body of Christina Maria Matos, 20, was found in her second-floor apartment on Sunday around 7 p.m. during a welfare check at the Signature 1505 complex on Hillsborough Street, police said.

Christina Maria Matos

Gerardo Matos said he and his wife last heard from their daughter on Friday, the day of her 20th birthday. Christina called and texted them and seemed to be in very good spirits, saying she was thankful, they said.

Later, the family became worried when they couldn't get in touch with their daughter. On Saturday, Christina's parents drove from their Clayton home to her Raleigh apartment to look for her.

When there was no answer from Christina or her roommates in the three locked bedrooms in the suite-style apartment, her parents sat in the common area until Sunday morning to wait for her.

When their daughter never arrived, they called the police.

Officers found Christina's body inside her locked bedroom.

The family said their daughter grew up in Clayton and attended Clayton High School. She took classes at Wake Technical Community College last year and worked multiple jobs, including waitressing, they said.

According to her parents, Christina was saving money to travel.

Police were called to an apartment complex on Hillsborough Street for a welfare check prior to finding the body.

WRAL News spoke to neighbors who lived on Christina's floor, where she lived with two roommates, but no one had any information. Many of the other residents in the building were N.C. State Students who were shocked by the news.

Social media posts are circulating about who could be connected to her death, and Raleigh police are investigating.

The family said they want justice for their daughter and are pleading anyone with information to come forward.

"Who killed her? They have to go to jail, they have to pay for the damage they made in our family," said Gerardo Matos.

WRAL attended the vigil for Christina on Tuesday evening, and her parents were still searching for answers.

“I’m happy because a lot of people loved her but I’m not happy because I don’t know what happened to her," Yolanda Matos said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Raleigh Crime Stoppers at 919-834-HELP or visit raleighcrimestoppers.org for text and email reporting options.

“We need to respect humans. We need to respect dreams. We need to respect women. We need to respect kids," Gerardo Matos said. “We need to respect life.”

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