Three members of a Venezuelan family were murdered this Tuesday morning at their Casselberry residence in Seminole County, Florida, in the United States.
They are Venezuelans Zuleika López, Mileyda de López, Zuleika’s mother, and Víctor Alejandro Araujo, 15 years old, Zuleika’s son. All from Machiques, Zulia state.
The alleged murderer, Carlos Soto, of Cuban nationality, was the husband of Zuleika López and it is presumed that he fatally shot her in the midst of an attack of jealousy and then did the same against his mother-in-law and his stepson, reports the chain of TV WPGL Local 10 News.
According to Casselberry Police, officers responded to a home at 2333 Coawood Court around 7:00 a.m. after a man called 911 and said he had been shot.
It transpires in local media that when the authorities arrived they found the three dead adults and the seriously injured teenager, who was taken to a health center where he died.
Seminole County Public Schools confirms that Araujo attended Lake Howell High School.
Officers believe the killer shot all three victims and then turned the gun on himself. The suspect was taken to an area hospital and succumbed to his injuries.
Zuleika had a relationship with Soto for about two years, but the relationship had not been going well for a long time.
Zuleika feared for her life and that of her family
Casselberry police say they received a call from Zuleika on June 9 about concerns that there was a gun in the house as she was having issues with her partner and had overheard a conversation between her cousin and her husband where they were discussing a possession. of weapons and she didn’t know if they were joking or if it was true.
In the conversation Zuleika expresses: «I have not been calm since that day». “I fear for myself, for my child and for my mother,” cites a report from Univision.
That June 9, the Venezuelan asked a Spanish-speaking police officer to check the house, stating that her husband was in the house and that she had left work and was on her way home.
The 911 operator advises Zuleika not to enter her house until the officer arrives; however, they did nothing that day, since the weapon was legally owned and was purchased on June 2 at a local gun store.
The police indicate that at that time they gave information to Zuleika about what to do if she felt threatened.
Other police records show two calls to the house, one in 2020, where the suspect allegedly calls the police and says he no longer wanted to be with the wife.
A few months later there was another incident where the wife claims that the suspect was following her because he was jealous and accusing her of infidelity.
Casselberry Police Chief Larry Krantz notes there may have been two unreported incidents of physical domestic violence, according to witnesses, but nothing was reported to law enforcement.
no background
“We have no idea why this incident happened. We don’t have a history of violence involving these people,” says Krantz.
Relatives of Zuleika declare to Telemundo that just over the weekend the Venezuelan woman had been warned to leave her house to avoid a tragedy, because they were observing Soto with a very strange attitude.
They comment that Zuleika was dedicated to taking care of an elderly woman and that Soto worked for a contractor.
Zuleika’s mother had been visiting the United States for two months and planned to return in a month.
They also indicate that they are taking steps to transfer the bodies of Zuleika, Víctor and Mileyda to Machiques.
Police Chief Casselberry urges people who may be victims of domestic violence in the community to reach out for help. Florida’s domestic violence hotline is 1-800-500-1119.
Easy access to weapons in USA and the negligent trade of these cause a spiral of violence in various states of this country.
Gun deaths in the United States hit a record highaccording to the latest official report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
