Crime & Safety

Man killed his wife, their 3 children at Orlando home, police say

The Orlando Police Department on Wednesday released the names of the family found dead a day earlier in an apparent murder-suicide inside their home on the southeast end of the city.

Investigators say Donovan Ramírez, 45, killed his wife, 39-year-old Stephanie Ramírez, along with their three children, Alyssa Berumen, 22; Sunny Ramírez, 11; and Shelby Ramírez, 7.

A gun was found at the scene, and the Orange-Osceola Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine the cause of death, OPD said in a statement released Wednesday.

Police arrived at the home at 1 p.m. Tuesday for a well-being check when they found the family dead inside their home on Lake District Lane in southeast Orlando, where neighbors said they had been living the last couple months.

“Investigators worked overnight to gather as much information as possible. As this is still an active and ongoing investigation, no further updates will be provided at this time,” said an unsigned statement by OPD’s media team. “We thank the media and public for their patience as we gather information to provide too you of this tragic incident.”

News of the alleged murder-suicide followed after two similar cases earlier this year in Seminole County, including one in April at an unincorporated Winter Park home that left three dead, and another in Casselberry where a man killed his wife, son and mother-in-law before killing himself.

In the latter case, the wife, Zuleika López Ávila, called police six days earlier to report her husband’s gun, but officers said they found no evidence of physical violence or a threat so no action was taken.

It’s not clear whether OPD has previously responded to the Lake District Lane home prior to Tuesday’s well-being check. Requests for records have not yet been fulfilled.

Jordan Collins

Jordan is an experienced editor with years in the journalism and reporting industry. He loves talking with the community about the problems local residents face and state politics. You can find him in the gym almost every day or see him jogging.

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