Father Kills Mother Of Three In Hialeah Murder-Suicide
HIALEAH (CBSMiami) - A 31-year-old mother of three children has been killed in a murder-suicide in Hialeah.
Police say 40-year-old Julian Ovalle took the life of his girlfriend---31-year-old Rosana "Rosie" Sabater---and then killed himself.
On Monday, loved ones who gathered at the home at 660 East 63rd Street embraced each other and broke down in tears as the bodies of Ovalle and Sabater were removed from the home by employees of the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office.
Sabater's great uncle, Sebastian Acosta, told CBS4's Peter D'Oench that Sabater was stabbed in the throat.
"He did it like this with a knife in her throat," said Acosta.
Watch Peter D'Oench's 6 P.M. report, click here.
Acosta said Ovalle also stabbed himself in the throat.
Demonstrating the motions of a knife, Acotsa said, "He cut his throat."
"So stabbed her to death and then took his own life?" Acosta was asked.
"Yes," he said.
Acosta said he and his wife were watching television on Sunday night when they learned about the incident.
"My wife was watching TV and she saw something happened at her sister's house he said. Acosta said the couple had been together for nine years. He said they had been having problems.
"I don't think they got along very well," said Acotsa. "I can't explain this. I knew something like this would happen one day."
Records show that Ovalle had not been in serious trouble before. But he was arrested in 2007 and 2009 for possession of marijuana.
Acosta said the couple had a son and daughter. He also said she had a 15-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
Police said all three children were living at the home.
Hialeah Police spokesman Carl Zogby, the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Police, released a statement saying it's not clear what prompted this incident.
He said police and firefighters responded just after 8 p.m. when family members called to report a suspicious incident.
There was evidence a fire had been started or had been set during the incident.
The Police SWAT team was also called in and the details about what happened inside the home were not clear.
But the statement said Ovalle killed Sabater and then took his own life. "Both bodies were discovered inside the residence upon police entry," the statement said.
Zogby said police would not be commenting about the case on camera.
Relatives on the scene declined to comment.
CBS4 also spoke with 37-year-old Edward Medina who said he was the father of the 15-year-old girl. Court records show.
Sabater and he had been previously married.
Medina said he was meeting with other family members and did not want to comment at this time.
A spokeswoman for the The Department of Children and Families (DCF) said the family did not have a case history with DCF but she said there is now an open investigation.
The three children could face a hearing soon about who will provide temporary custody of them.
Some neighbors told CBS4 they were truly surprised by the murder-suicide.
One next-door neighbor who did not want to give his name said, "They were good neighbors. I never thought something like this would happen here."
Click HERE to watch Peter D'Oench's 5 P.M. report
Click Here to watch Summer Knowles' noon report.
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