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Oscar Mercado Salazar: Florida man stabs wife to death in front of their children before slicing his neck

The wife was declared dead by deputies at the scene, while the man was sent to a hospital with a weak pulse before being declared dead an hour later

DELTONA, FLORIDA: A man fatally stabbed his wife before slicing his own neck in a shocking murder-suicide committed in front of his three young children on Monday, October 17. According to officials with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, they responded to a call from a Deltona home after 6 pm on October 17 after a neighbor reported a 10-year-old boy ran to his house as his stepfather had stabbed his mother. The boy reported to his neighbor that his stepfather had attempted to stab him as well but he somehow managed to escape.

Following the boy's account, the neighbor went to the house and saw two young children who were unharmed, as well as Byanca Cruz Tovar, 26, and Oscar Mercado Salazar, 31, on the floor with ‘apparent sharp force injuries.’ Cruz was declared dead by deputies at the scene, while Salazar was sent to a nearby hospital with a weak pulse before being declared dead an hour later. Salazar was reportedly the biological father of the two smaller children, ages 2 and 5. Authorities stated on Tuesday, October 18 that a disagreement between Salazar and Cruz over the behavior of their 5-year-old was the reason for the horrifying murder-suicide.

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According to New York Post, Salazar was previously arrested twice for domestic abuse, including once in 2016 while his wife was pregnant. Salazar was found to be residing in the nation unlawfully while using a false name. According to investigators, he had entered the US illegally and gone by the name of Albertico Garza, a US citizen whose truck and ID were stolen in Texas years ago.

Officials also revealed the family had been living at the home for about five months, and there were no prior law enforcement calls made to the home during that timeframe. However, investigators claimed that as they continued their investigation, they discovered that the family had several violent disputes in the past. 

According to authorities, the 10-year-old kid is now in his father's custody, while their smaller siblings are being kept by their maternal grandmother. Sheriff of Volusia County Mike Chitwood described the incident as ‘really a heartbreaking story’ during a news conference on Tuesday, October 18. “It is sickening on one end, again when you look you have their three little kids involved here, a 10-year-old, a 5-year-old, and a 2-year-old who don't have their mother anymore," he added. Later, Chitwood also tweeted that, "The children will need a lot of love and support as they deal with this tragedy today and for the rest of their lives. I am just so sorry for their pain. We are making arrangements with family members and will make sure these kids have everything they need."