A 40-year-old Florida woman is in custody following the violent death of her young daughter.
According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, April Oliva has been charged with murder after allegedly attacking 6-year-old Valerie Oliva with a kitchen knife late Tuesday night, at a home in Milton
The incident took place at a residence in the 5000 block of Nowling Drive. Authorities report that around 11:00 p.m., Oliva placed a “disturbing”, reportedly incoherent call to her sister, speaking about “evil spirits.“
During the call, Oliva made suggestive remarks that something terrible had happened, according to WEAR.
Oliva’s sister contacted their father, Steven Tuttle, who rushed to the home where he found the front door unlocked and both Mother and daughter on the floor, covered in blood.
According to the arrest report, the mother repeatedly told her father, “She’s dead.”
Law enforcement arrived shortly after midnight Wednesday to find Oliva lying on top of her daughter’s body, according to SRSO.
Fox 10 reported that in the home’s dining room, investigators recovered a kitchen knife that is believed to be the weapon used in the assault.
Valerie succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The little girl suffered from more than 20 stab wounds covering her body, with several to her neck.
Chief Deputy Randy Tifft identified injuries to Oliva’s stomach and neck as self-inflicted.
“She had self-inflicted wounds on herself, and the six-year-old was determined to be deceased as a result of multiple knife stab wounds,” Tift said.
At the time of the stabbing, the child’s father was out of town for business, and no other individuals were present in the household.
Oliva was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of her self-inflicted wounds. Officials state that as soon as she is medically cleared for release, she will be booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office described the event as a “deeply tragic case” and noted that the investigation remains active, with detectives continuing to process evidence and conduct interviews.
No information regarding a motive has been released.
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[Feature Photo via Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office]
