Ezequiel Almodovar and his family enjoyed a fun day at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom last week, but the joy from the trip soon turned into a nightmare.
Just a few days after the family getaway, the U.S Customs and Border Protection officer killed his wife, Marielis Soto-Almodovar, and his two children, 16-year-old Ezequiel Jr. and 12-year-old Gabriel before killing himself, People reported.
The murder-suicide came as a shock after Ezequiel posted photos from their Disney trip, as well as a loving tribute to his wife on Valentine’s Day.
“Happy Valentine’s Day to my forever valentine!!! Marielis Soto-Almodovar. Today is a day of love, but there’s not enough days for me to show you how much I love you and how much you mean to me today and every day!!!! You’ve always been there for me and I hope I can continue to show you the love you deserve mi amor… te amooooo forever and ever!!!!”
Customs and Border Protection Officer Kills Wife, Two Kids, And Then Himself
Friends of the family had contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Office after the family had not been seen or heard from for a few days. When they arrived at the home, they found “four deceased people,” according to Sheriff John Mina.
“All had been shot, one adult male, one adult female, and two juvenile males,” Sheriff Mina said. “Our preliminary investigation revealed that the adult male shot his family members… and then shot himself. We are working this as a murder-suicide.”
Their family is at a loss as to what happened. “I’m just devastated about this,” Bruce Lewis, Almodovar’s former brother-in-law told local outlet WFTV.
“His sister is not holding up well. My son is devastated. He wasn’t a violent man. He wasn’t doing drugs. He didn’t use substances, so I don’t know what possessed him to be in a state of mind.” The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the case.