Woman shoots boyfriend to death in Florida, kills herself in Alabama, officials say

A woman shot and killed her boyfriend in Tampa on Wednesday morning before fleeing to Alabama and killing herself, deputies say.

The incident started just before 7 a.m. Wednesday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Deputies were called to the 9200 block of Shellgrove Court in Town ‘N Country after a concerned family member called the sheriff’s office communications center.

When deputies arrived, they found Kelbys Avila, 50, dead from a gunshot wound. Detectives determined he was killed by his girlfriend, Maira Pacheco Nuñez, 58, who fled in a vehicle.

Detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Pacheco Nuñez on a charge of second-degree murder with a firearm. Within an hour of the warrant being issued, deputies with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office in Alabama spotted Pacheco Nuñez’s vehicle.

When deputies made a traffic stop, Pacheco Nuñez shot and killed herself.

“This is a tragic and heartbreaking situation. Our hearts ache for the family of this man whose life was tragically ended,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the news release. “Violence is never an option. To anyone facing or anyone who suspects domestic violence, please remember: help is available, and you are not alone.”

The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours.

Domestic violence warning signs

Abuser isolates victim from friends or family.

Victim is encouraged or forced to stop participating in activities important to them.

Abuser controls finances or puts victim on an allowance, asks for explanations of spending.

Victim is blamed for their feelings, yelled at or made to feel “small.”

Abuser criticizes and controls victim’s appearance, including what they can wear.

Abuser abandons victim in places they don’t know.

Abuser keeps victim from eating, sleeping or getting medical care.

Abuser throws or punches things around victim.