100 WVIA Way
Pittston, PA 18640

Phone: 570-826-6144
Fax: 570-655-1180

Copyright © 2025 WVIA, all rights reserved. WVIA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Husband faces charges following Dunmore woman's shooting death

Maxwell Hawkins
Lackawanna County District Attorney's Office
Maxwell Hawkins

A Dunmore woman is dead and her husband in jail after a Thursday night shooting in the borough, investigators say.

Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland said Nicole Vega, 36, died from a single gunshot wound to the head at her home at on Veterans Drive in the borough.

Her husband, Maxwell Hawkins, 37, was arrested Thursday and charged with child endangerment and public drunkenness.

Rowland said the manner of death was homicide. The cause of death remains under investigation, according to a criminal complaint against Hawkins.

The Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office, Dunmore Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the case, Rowland said.

Police responded to the home just after 11:20 p.m., according to court documents. Police said they found Hawkins in the kitchen visibly intoxicated and “extremely erratic.”

Hawkins mumbled and it was difficult to understand what he was saying, police said. Officers asked Hawkins where Vega was and he pointed upstairs.

Police found Vega dead near a pool of blood and a loaded handgun.

A Dunmore Police officer asked Hawkins what happened and he responded that his wife “cheated on him,” according to the criminal complaint.

Officers said that they were met outside the home by a man named Michael Schwarz, who had removed three children.

Hawkins had been in contact with Schwarz, according to police. Schwarz told officers that Hawkins called him from a nearby convenience store and said that he and Vega had an argument and that the kids were at home. Schwarz told police Hawkins said Vega was acting strangely and that he thought she might attempt suicide.

Schwarz said he urged Hawkins to return home, police said. Hawkins called him back and said that Vega was "gone." Schwarz arrived at the home and took the children, between the ages of 4 and 11, out of the residence, according to police. He then called 911.

Hawkins was arraigned Friday, according to court documents. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14 in front of Magisterial District Judge Sean Gallagher. Hawkins was unable to post bail and remained in Lackawanna County prison Friday afternoon.

Kat Bolus is the community reporter for the WVIA News Team. She is a former reporter and columnist at The Times-Tribune, a Scrantonian and cat mom.

You can email Kat at katbolus@wvia.org