In the wake of an Edinburg woman's death, the Hidalgo County district attorney is reminding the public about resources available for victims of domestic violence.

On the morning of Oct. 30, police officers found a woman dead in Edinburg.

Less than 24 hours before officers found her dead, the woman had contacted the Edinburg Police Department about her ex-boyfriend.

Officers escorted the woman home "and extra patrol was conducted" near her apartment, according to a news release from the police department. Officers advised her to come back the next morning to request an emergency protective order.

She never had the chance.

According to a summary of the preliminary investigation released by the police department, the woman's ex-boyfriend apparently traveled from Laredo to the Edinburg. After entering her apartment, the ex-boyfriend murdered her before killing himself.

"It's always sad for us when we lose someone from our community. I think that those individuals that are causing these egregious crimes — I think they're cowards, they don't care about someone's life," said Hidalgo County District Attorney Ricardo Rodriguez.

Rodriguez urged victims of domestic violence to call the police.

Anyone who feels police officers aren't handling the situation appropriately should call the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office or Mujeras Unidas.

Watch the video for the full story.

News Release: Resources for Victims of Domestic Violence

1. If you are in danger, please call 9-1-1
   
   
2. Emergency Domestic Violence Shelters are open 24 hrs, 7 days a week all over the nation. If you need a safe place to stay, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
   
   
3. You can apply for a Protective Order for free with the local District Attorney's Office.
4. If there is an arrest made, you can request an Emergency Protective Order from the police department who made the arrest.
   
   
5. If the offender is arrested and is still in custody, you can register for VINE. VINE is the nation’s leading victim notification network. It allows survivors, victims of crime, and other concerned citizens to access timely and reliable information about offenders or criminal cases in U.S. jails and prisons. To register for VINE:
   
   https://vinelink.com/classic/#/home/site/44900.
   
   
6. If you have a protective order, you can apply for the Address Confidentiality program to keep your new address safe. Apply at: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/crime-victims/services-crime-victims/address-confidentiality-program.
   
   
7. If you press charges, you can apply for the Crime Victims Compensation Program and request relocation assistance. Apply for CVC at
   https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/crime-victims/crime-victims-compensation-program/apply-crime-victims-compensation.
   
   
8. If you live in the Housing Section 8 Program, you can request to transfer your housing voucher to another jurisdiction for your safety. For more information on housing rights for victims, please visit: https://texaslawhelp.org/article/housing-rights-victims-family-violence.
   
   
9. You can request your Social Security Number be changed to keep your identity safe. To apply for a new number, you must apply in person at any Social Security Office and present evidence documenting the harassment, abuse, or life endangerment. For more info on how to do this please visit:  www.socialsecurity.gov.
   
   
10. You can apply for child support safely with the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. For more info please visit:  http://www.getchildsupportsafely.org/.
    
    
11. You can apply for TANF or food stamps and request a Good Cause Waiver Form H1713. Good cause waives the requirement to cooperate with or establish a child support order with the OAG, because doing so would pose a clear safety risk to you or your children. For more info on this visit: https://hhs.texas.gov/laws-regulations/forms/1000-1999/form-h1713-service-plan-family-violence-option-report-good-cause.
    
    
12. If you live in Hidalgo County you can call Mujeres Unidas 24 hour hotline at 1-800-580-4879 or the Hidalgo County Criminal District Attorney's Office Victims Unit at (956) 292-7616

Information courtesy of the Hidalgo County District Attorney's Office.