A tragic incident has unfolded in Florida, where a woman is facing severe charges after the violent death of her young daughter. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that 40-year-old April Oliva has been arrested and charged with the murder of her six-year-old daughter, Valerie Oliva. The alleged attack occurred late Tuesday night in their Milton home.
The disturbing event happened on Nowling Drive, where law enforcement officials were alerted to the situation around 11:00 p.m. The sequence of events began when Oliva placed a frantic and incoherent phone call to her sister, during which she spoke alarmingly about “evil spirits.” This call raised immediate concern, as reported by WEAR.
Amid the chaos, Oliva hinted that something terrible had transpired. Her sister, understandably alarmed, reached out to their father, Steven Tuttle, who hurried to the scene. Upon his arrival, he discovered the door unlocked, and inside, a horrifying sight: both mother and daughter lay on the floor, tragically covered in blood.
In the aftermath, the arrest report revealed the harrowing moment when Oliva repeatedly told her father, “She’s dead.” This heartbreaking statement underscores the severity of the situation that authorities are now investigating.
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.
[Feature Photo via Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office]
