A Florida sheriff's deputy kidnapped and killed his on-off girlfriend in a murder-suicide on Monday evening, after the mother of two told her children to run inside and call 911. The incident occurred in Hudson, Florida, according to the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
Children Told to Call 911
The woman and her two children, ages 9 and 12, had just returned from the beach when they encountered Deputy Troy Savetz, 47, waiting in their front yard. Savetz, a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy, began arguing with the woman over a television he wanted back, authorities said.
During the argument, the woman told her children to run inside and call for help. She also attempted to call 911 herself, but Savetz snatched her phone away, according to Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco.
911 Tape Reveals Mother's Final Words
At a press conference Monday night, Sheriff Nocco addressed the children directly, referencing the 911 call. "We listened to that 911 tape and we know that your mother said to go inside, save your lives and call 911," Nocco said. "Your mom is looking down from heaven, and she is so proud of you… You two did the right thing, you did exactly what your mom wanted you to do."
Police responded to the woman's home around 5:30 p.m., but the woman and Savetz were already gone. Authorities tracked a rental car to Platinum Drive in Spring Hill, about 6 miles away, around 7 p.m. Inside the car, they found both Savetz and the woman dead from gunshot wounds. The victim's name has not been released.
Children Now in Father's Care
Sheriff Nocco confirmed that the woman's two children are now in the care of their biological father. "Those two children should be starting off this week getting ready for school," Nocco said. "But what they're getting ready for instead is a sad life without their mother."
Savetz had worked for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office for 14 years and was assigned to the marine unit, according to Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri. Gualtieri condemned Savetz's actions, calling them "inexcusable." "The moment this individual committed a crime he was no longer a law enforcement officer. He was a criminal," Gualtieri said.
The murder-suicide remains under investigation.
