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A 40-year-old woman from Florida is currently detained following the tragic death of her daughter.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office has charged April Oliva with murder. She is accused of fatally attacking her 6-year-old daughter, Valerie Oliva, with a kitchen knife late Tuesday night at their Milton residence.
The horrific event unfolded at a house located in the 5000 block of Nowling Drive. Authorities reveal that around 11:00 p.m., Oliva made a disturbing and confusing phone call to her sister, according to reports. During the call, she incoherently spoke about “evil spirits.”
In this unsettling conversation, Oliva hinted that something dreadful had occurred, as reported by WEAR.
Alarmed by the call, Oliva’s sister immediately contacted their father, Steven Tuttle. He hurried to the house, discovering the front door ajar. Inside, he found both mother and daughter lying 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]