Man Dies After Jumping from Aruba Hotel Balcony — and Then His Wife Is Found Dead in Their Room By Liam Quinn

A tourist from the United States visiting Aruba jumped off the balcony of a high-rise hotel and fell to his death. When authorities subsequently searched his room, they found his wife dead inside.

The Aruba Police Force said it responded to a report that a man had fallen from the balcony of the St. Regis hotel in Noord.

Police responded and said the man showed no signs of life and was pronounced dead. Investigators determined that he had jumped from the top floor of the hotel.

Investigators then searched the man’s room and discovered a deceased woman.

The police force described the incident as a “regrettable and unusual case.”

In a follow-up, the police force identified the man as B. Jozic, 45, originally from Bosnia, and the woman as C. Jozic, 52, originally from the Philippines, and said both were U.S. residents but did not reveal their first names.

Diario, a Papiamento-language newspaper in Aruba, reported that police are investigating the incident as a murder-suicide.

A Jan. 1 Facebook post from an account named “Boris Cristina Jozic,” appearing to belong to a couple that owns a gym in Illinois, features several photos tagged in Palm Beach, Aruba, which is near the hotel where the two bodies were found.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.  

A GoFundMe has since been set up to benefit the family of Cristina Gatia, whose photo resembles photos of the woman featured on the Jozic Facebook account. The fundraiser lists her death as Jan. 4, the same day Aruban police discovered the Jozics.

“She was a proud mother of five, a loving grandmother, a devoted daughter, loving sister, cherished aunt, and a dear friend to so many,” the organizer wrote. “She poured her heart into her family and was deeply passionate about health and fitness, always encouraging others to become the best version of themselves. Whether as a mother, mentor, or friend, Cristina showed up with love, strength, and compassion.”

So far, the GoFundMe has raised over $30,000.