Ex-Miss Teen Universe Carolina Flores Killed, Mother-in-Law Named as Suspect

Inside the Mexico femicide investigation, the family dynamics at the center of the case, and what authorities say about the alleged motive.

Beauty Queen Carolina Flores Shot and Killed by Mother-in-Law

Photo by Mario Armas / AFP via Getty Images

The killing of Carolina Flores Gómez is drawing widespread attention in Mexico after newly surfaced surveillance footage appeared to capture the moment the 27-year-old former Miss Teen Universe was shot and killed inside her Mexico City home—allegedly by her own mother-in-law.

According to authorities and video obtained by The New York Post, the shooting took place on April 15 inside Flores’ apartment in the upscale Polanco neighborhood.MAMÁ!?” Es la forma en q la exreina de belleza, Carolina Flores, fue atacada a tiros por su suegra Erika Herrera. Ahí la mató. Su hijo Alejandro, le reclamó, pero la dejó huir del depa d Polanco. Hasta el otro día, fue a @FiscaliaCDMX a denunciar. El caso #c4EnAlerta

The footage shows Flores, a new mother, walking through her living room—where a stroller, toys, and a playpen were visible—before heading toward another part of the home with her mother-in-law, identified as Érika María Herrera Coriant, following behind.

Seconds later, gunfire erupts. Investigators say multiple shots were fired, followed by screams.

Moments after the shooting, Flores’ husband, Alejandro Sánchez, appears in the footage holding the couple’s infant. The exchange captured on video has become a focal point of the case.

“What did you do?” he asks his mother in Spanish.

She responds, “Nothing, she made me angry.”

When he reacts—“She is my family”—Herrera replies, “You’re mine, and she stole you from me.”

¡Tu eras mío! Así fue el asesinato de Carolina Flores, ex reina de belleza de Baja California, dentro de su propio departamento en Polanco, CDMX. Su suegra le disparó a sangre fría. Su hijo Alejandro apenas y reaccionó a lo sucedido y después permitió que huyera.

Authorities in Mexico City have confirmed that Herrera is the primary suspect, though no formal charges have been announced as of the latest update.

Officials also acknowledged that the crime was not reported until April 16—one day after the shooting—raising questions about the delay and whether others present should face scrutiny.

Flores’ mother said that her son-in-law hesitated to contact authorities out of concern that the couple’s baby might be taken into state care.

Flores was widely known in Baja California, where she earned recognition as Miss Teen Universe for the region in 2017 and later worked as a model supporting local tourism initiatives.

Her death has resonated beyond pageant circles, with supporters describing her as a young mother building a public-facing career while raising her child.

The case has since been reclassified under femicide protocols, meaning that the penalties will be harsher for those convicted under the statute.