Triple Homicide and Alleged Child Kidnapping Rock Quiet Florida Neighborhood
A Florida dad who was the target of an Amber Alert for his little daughter last weekend is being investigated by authorities in connection with a triple homicide.
On February 16, Nathan Gingles, 43, was accused of kidnapping his daughter Seraphine Gingles, age 4, and was charged with three charges of first-degree murder.
Her mother, grandfather, and a neighbor were killed, but the girl was eventually discovered unharmed.
According to a press release from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, authorities found Seraphine’s grandfather, 64-year-old David Ponzer, with a gunshot wound on the back patio of the Tamarac, Florida, house after responding to reports of a shooting at around six in the morning on Sunday.
At the house, Ponzer was declared dead.
A nationwide Amber Alert was issued to the public after police discovered during that inquiry that the 4-year-old had been removed from the house.
Authorities thought she was in danger after her father abducted her in a silver 2016 BMW X3 with a Texas license plate.
At first, authorities also thought that Seraphine’s mother, 34-year-old Mary Gingles, was present.
Detectives confirmed that Nathan Gingles and his daughter, who was unhurt, were located in North Lauderdale just before 11 a.m., several hours after the Amber Alert was issued.
Nathan Gingles was first taken into custody on suspicion of breaking an order prohibiting him from having any contact with the child’s mother.
Later, inside another Tamarac residence on North Plum Bay Parkway, Mary Gingles was discovered dead from gunshot wounds.
Additionally, authorities said that another guy, Andrew Ferrin, 36, was discovered deceased inside the same house.
According to investigators, a gun thought to have been used in the crimes was found by the Broward County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team during a search of a nearby canal.
According to inmate records, Gingles was being held at the main jail in Fort Lauderdale and is charged with three charges of premeditated first-degree murder with a gun.
He is also accused of tampering with a minor’s custody and breaking an injunction prohibiting him from communicating with the youngster or the child’s mother.
Mary was attempting to obtain assistance when Ferrin, a neighbor, answered the door and was shot, Ferrin added.
“It’s unimaginable,” Ferrin’s uncle stated. “A woman was in the neighborhood knocking on actual doors, and my nephew who was home happened to open the door for her.”
According to court documents, Nathan Gingles had two domestic violence restraining orders against him and Mary and he were divorcing.
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At a press conference on Wednesday, Sheriff Gregory Tony stated that seven officers from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office had been placed on leave for their handling of calls related to the Tamarac triple murder case.
In one instance, Mary said her husband was threatening to murder her when she phoned authorities in December. According to Tony, a deputy arrived, spent more than half an hour interviewing Mary, and may have had sufficient evidence to detain Gingles, but chose not to do so.
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“We could have done more. … I’m not shying away from holding us accountable,” Tony stated. “We’re not just looking at isolated incidents. We have a robust list of all the calls for services that occurred at that site location either coming from the husband or coming from the wife.”
During the news conference on Wednesday, Tony continued, “I don’t want the public to lose faith. Then we rectify this situation, I’m going to send the fear of God amongst this entire agency.”