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Background: The Deltona, Fla., area where Samuel Vaia allegedly shot his wife, Ashley Vaia (Google Maps). Inset: Samuel Vaia (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office).
According to police, a Florida man who had recently been released from jail after a domestic violence arrest killed his ex-wife before fleeing and later committing suicide.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office announced on Facebook that Samuel Vaia, 33, crashed his vehicle early Monday morning while trying to elude officers. They were pursuing him after locating his ex-wife, 38-year-old Ashley Vaia, deceased. Ashley’s teenage daughter discovered her body, and deputies responded to their Deltona residence at approximately 2:22 a.m.
Samuel Vaia’s vehicle was tracked by law enforcement and spotted speeding northbound out of the county. As several law enforcement agencies closed in, Samuel Vaia crashed. Responders approached the vehicle and found their suspect inside with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Samuel Vaia had been arrested for battery against Ashley Vaia on March 23 and bonded out the following evening. Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said during a press conference that the court ordered Samuel Vaia to turn over all of his firearms. Chitwood said he turned over three of them, “clearly not all of them.”
While emphasizing that a protection order was just “a piece of paper” that was “never going to keep any woman safe,” Chitwood said that Samuel Vaia was “hell-bent on killing [Ashley Vaia].”
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The former couple shared a 2-year-old, and Ashley Vaia was also a mother to a 21-year-old and the 19-year-old daughter who found her dead. According to police, Samuel and Ashley Vaia were separated, but were attempting a reconciliation. During their March 23 altercation, Samuel Vaia accused his estranged wife of cheating on him.
After police apprehended Samuel Vaia, the suspect was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or considering self-harm, help is available immediately at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
