An off-duty sheriff’s deputy in California murdered the mother of his children before taking his own life during a standoff with police.
The Santa Rosa Police Department responded just after 7 p.m. on Aug. 10, to a 911 call made by a neighbor of Mari Bonnici, a detention specialist with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, at an apartment complex in Santa Rosa, the department wrote on Facebook.
The neighbor said that Bonnici’s ex-partner, Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Lyle, 44, had handed her an infant and instructed her to call 911 “because the child’s mother was hurt,” then left the area.
When officers arrived at Bonnici’s apartment, they forced entry and discovered the 38-year-old’s lifeless body with at least one gunshot wound, the SRPD wrote.
Two other children, both toddlers, were discovered unharmed in a back bedroom.
About a half hour later, police learned Lyle’s truck was spotted near the county coroner’s office. On arrival, they found Lyle standing in the bed of the truck holding a handgun to his back.
Authorities attempted to negotiate Lyle’s surrender for hours to no avail. At about 2 a.m., 7 hours after authorities first received the 911 call, Lyle shot himself, police said. The Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said Lyle’s death was witnessed by personnel on the scene.
Police believe the incident was related to domestic violence, but they had no previous domestic violence reports on record between Lyle and Bonnici. The couple’s three children are being cared for by relatives.
“We recognize the profound shock and concern that this incident brings to our community,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement. “Both the Sheriff’s Office and the community place immense trust in those who are dedicated to serving and protecting. No level of training or experience can fully prepare us for such a tragedy.”
The incident is the ninth homicide and third murder-suicide in Santa Rosa this year, police said.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to speak with a trained crisis counselor 24/7, or visit 988lifeline.org.