Authorities say that Oscar Salazar killed Byanca Cruz Tovar and himself during an argument on how to best discipline a child.
Authorities say a man stabbed his wife and then himself on Monday night during an argument about how to discipline their 5-year-old child.
According to CBS-12, deputies in Deltona, Fla., responded to a call shortly after 6 p.m. on Monday. Officers were greeted by a neighbor when they arrived at the couple’s home.
A neighbor told deputies that a 10-year-old boy had run to their house for help, claiming that his stepfather, Oscar Mercado Salazar, 31, had stabbed his mother, Byanca Cruz Tovar, 26.
The neighbor claimed he entered the house and found Salazar and Tovar covered in blood on the floor. Two younger children were unharmed at the scene. After that, the neighbor called 911.
Tovar was declared dead at the scene. Salazar stabbed himself in the neck and was rushed to the hospital, where he was found with a faint pulse. He was later pronounced dead as a result of his injuries.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood tells WFTV-TV, the argument began when the couple disagreed about disciplining their child. The argument became heated and deadly.
Chitwood was worried about the child who witnessed the attack.
“For the 10-year-old to have witnessed that, I can’t imagine what the rest of their lives are going to be like,” he told the station.
According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the 10-year-old was Tovar’s son from a previous marriage. He is now living with his father. Tovar’s parents have custody of the other two children.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month is celebrated in October. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, an estimated 10 million people are physically abused by an intimate partner each year
