A Florida woman was killed in a domestic, murder-suicide incident Aug. 1 at the Port St. Lucie home the separated couple lived in with their adult son, according to Port St. Lucie Police.
Authorities believe Elizabeth Ortega, 50, was fatally shot around 7:40 p.m. Saturday, by Ralph Varela Sr., also 50, in the 2000 block of Southeast Oxmoor Terrace.
Here’s what we know.
Port St. Lucie Police officers responded to multiple calls of possible gunshots
Investigators found a woman, later identified as Ortega, with multiple gunshot wounds. She was airlifted to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where she later died.
A 50-year-old man, later identified as Varela Sr., was found dead in the home with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said.
Valera used an AR-style .223-caliber rifle to shoot Ortega inside the home they shared, according to police. Home surveillance video shows Ortega attempted to flee to the front yard, but Valera continued to shoot at her.
Florida woman killed in murder-suicide was veteran sheriff’s employee
Ortega “began her Emergency Communications career with the Greenacres Police Department in November of 2001 and has been a dedicated member of PBSO Emergency Communications since the merger in February of 2016,” according to a social media post by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
“She was a respected and cherished part of our PBSO family, known for her kindness, compassion, and a warm smile that could brighten any room,” the post states.
The couple had separated, but still lived together with adult son
“Investigators learned that Ortega had recently ended the relationship,” police stated. “Despite the separation, the two agreed to continue living together temporarily while Varela made arrangements to secure alternate living accommodations.”
Port St. Lucie Police have stated Varela Sr. and Ortega had been in a relationship for more than 30 years and lived with their adult son, Ralph Varela Jr., who told officials his parents didn’t seem to be in an altercation before he briefly left around 7:30 p.m. to pick up dinner from a restaurant, the news release said.
Varela Jr., 30, is a firefighter with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Police reported no earlier calls related to domestic violence
Officer Brittany McNally, the Port St. Lucie Police spokesperson, said Varela Sr. moved to Port St. Lucie in June 2025, but she did not know how long Ortega had lived there.
Police reported there were no earlier calls for service to the home related to domestic violence.
Earlier Aug. 3 at the scene on Southeast Oxmoor Terrace several neighbors either did not answer knocks to their front doors or declined comment.
Elizabeth Cassola, 25, however, spoke through a doorbell camera. Cassola said she’s lived in the home for 18 months.
She said in the past she heard what she thought was the sound of a person hitting a woman at the home, but said she was scared to report it.
“The man that was living there, he was always outside,” Cassola said.
A woman at the home, she said, cut the grass and appeared to take steps to keep up the residence.
Where is Port St. Lucie, Florida?
The domestic-related, murder-suicide incident took place Aug. 1 in the 2000 block of Southeast Oxmoor Terrace in Port St. Lucie, the Police Department said in a news release.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida sheriff’s employee killed in murder-suicide. What we know
Reporting by Ashley Ferrer, Will Greenlee and Valeria Bartra, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ashley Ferrer, Will Greenlee and Valeria Bartra, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
