Sunday, September 5, 2010

Wellington, FL: Wellington murder-suicide leaves children orphaned

VideoPhoto


advertisement

SHARETHIS

Posted: 09/04/2010
Last Updated: 3 hours and 42 minutes ago

By: Vince Norman
WELLINGTON, Fla. - Friday, shortly after 11:00 p.m., shots broke the silence of the evening air on the 1100 block of Summerwood Circle.

"I heard screaming," said James Duvall, a neighbor who lives just across the street from the tragic scene.

"I came to the front window and looked out and saw the house over there lit up with headlights," said Duvall.

According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's office, Jose Ferreira, shot his ex-wife Paula Beltre, before shooting himself, all while their two youngest children were inside their Wellington home. "I have an eleven year old son too, and those kids lost both their parents. It kind of hits home when you have kids that age," said Duvall.

Not knowing if a killer was still on the loose, Duvall went to check on Beltre's two young children, the 10-year-old boy was on the phone with a 9-1-1 operator. "He seemed pretty brave, you know he was direct and not hysterical when he was talking on the phone," said Duvall.

The eldest son arrived just a few hours after the incident. "The whole thing was a little bit surreal. I think he kind of went into a mode of okay, what do I have to do, calling family members and so forth. He was pretty brave, pretty stoic, not overemotional at all," said Duvall.

The cause of the apparent murder suicide is still under investigation. Beltre's two young children are no longer in DCF's custody, they are staying with an aunt.

No comments: