Boynton Beach Dad Kills Two Sons, Himself In Front Of Wife
BOYNTON BEACH (CBSMiami) – A father killed his two sons, despite their mother's pleas to take her life instead, police said Saturday morning.
He then shot and killed himself.
Shortly before 2 a.m., Victoria Flores Zavala, 36, was watching TV when she heard noise in her home in the 400 block of Southwest Eighth Avenue, police said.
That's when she found her estranged husband, Isidro Zavala, 45, choking one of the boys, police said.
The mother tried to fight him off and begged Isidro Zavala kill her instead.
After killing their sons, he then told his wife he wanted her to suffer.
"During statement with the wife there is a comment made. She said 'Why don't you kill me' and he said 'No, you're going to live with this'," said Boynton Beach police Detective Chris Crawford.
The boys were identified as Eduardo Zavala, 12, and Mario Zavala, 11.
When police arrived on scene, they found one child dead in a back screened patio area and his deceased brother in the kitchen dining room area.
Isidro Zavala killed himself with a gun and was discovered dead in the kitchen.
Mariano Batalla, a friend of Zavala, said he was stunned when he heard the news.
"He's always happy. He's an amazing man. That's why I don't believe how he killed himself I don't believe that," said Batalla.
"I feel sad. I don't know why the dad did this. I don't know what the kids did to him. When I heard about it, I started to cry because they were my friends," said neighbor Billege Alcin.
Detectives have obtained a search warrant for the house where the killings occurred as well as a home in the 1100 block of Southeast Third Street where Isidro Zavala had been staying.
The Zavalas have a 19-year-old son who does not live with his family and was not at the home when the killings occurred, police said.
Police also said there is no history of reports of domestic violence or abuse at the home.
According to court records obtained by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Victoria Flores Zavala had filed for divorce in October. The couple married in Palm Beach County in May 1993.
More details were expected at a news conference schedule by police for 2 p.m. We'll update this story with the new information.
