A family tragedy has shaken Houston, Texas, where a 35-year-old divorced mother killed her 4-year-old daughter and then shot herself, just a few hours after losing a custody battle for the child.
Sibel Savela was supposed to hand over her daughter, Vivian, to her ex-husband, Aaron Savela, on Tuesday night. Instead, according to ABC13, she fatally shot the child inside her home in Houston and then turned the gun on herself.
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“Earlier that day, there had been a custody hearing, which did not go well for the mother,” said Houston Police Department Deputy Chief Larry Crowson.
“She returned home, shot the 4-year-old,” and then turned the gun on herself.
The 35-year-old was initially taken to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries a day later.
The custody battle
Savela, who was originally from Brazil, had divorced Aaron Savela in November 2024, after four years of marriage. A fierce legal battle over custody of their daughter ensued.
According to court documents, a new ruling against the mother had been issued approximately eight hours before the tragedy.
Among other things, she was prohibited from speaking to her daughter in Portuguese unless a supervisor who knew the language was present. At the same time, she was not allowed to attend her child’s school performances or extracurricular activities.
The ruling also stipulated that she would have to pay child support to her ex-husband and cover 50% of the medical expenses not reimbursed by insurance.
It was not immediately clear why the court imposed such strict restrictions on the mother and awarded primary custody of Vivian to her father.
“Vivian was loved without limits”
The 4-year-old’s relatives say they are devastated by the tragedy.
“Vivian was four years old. Her father, Aaron, and everyone who knew her loved her unconditionally. There are no words to describe what has been taken from us,” they said in a statement.
The family also maintained that the father had followed all the required legal procedures to protect his child.
“Aaron did everything the law requires of a parent trying to protect their child. He trusted the courts. He followed every order and waited for the process to run its course,” they said.
“On Tuesday, a judge granted Aaron primary custody of Vivian, and she was supposed to go to his home that same evening. She never arrived.”
“No one in court could have imagined this outcome.”
Attorney Charlotte Rainwater, who represented Aaron Savela, told KHOU that the family is “devastated by this turn of events.”
“I’ve been practicing family law for 28 years, and I’ve never experienced anything like this,” she said.
“I don’t think anyone in the courtroom on Tuesday could have imagined that this would be the outcome.”
The case is now the focus of an investigation by authorities, while little Vivian’s family is trying to cope with a tragedy that unfolded just a few hours after the latest court ruling on her custody.
Source: Protothema.gr
