Florida woman accused of speeding down beach is charged with DUI: police
Florida's Volusia County Sheriff's Office says officers were called to Smyrna Dunes Park after Sarah Ramswammy, 26, of Orlando ‘plowed into the water.’ (Volusia Sheriff's Office / BODY CAMS+ /TMX)
A Florida middle school teacher was stabbed to death by her fiancé before he shot himself in a murder-suicide that left her infant daughter alone in her crib for 11 hours, officials said.
The 25-year-old man, whose name hasn't been released, fatally stabbed Amanda Hicks, 26, inside their apartment in Port St. Lucie on Saturday, according to a news release.
"The man repeatedly tried to call a family member. Then, a single gunshot was heard on video surveillance," Port St. Lucie Police Sgt. John Dellacroce told Fox News Digital.
The final call to the relative was made at 11:50 p.m., and the gunshot was heard at 12:47 a.m., which is when police believe the man took his own life.
FLORIDA MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER FOUND MURDERED AT HOME NEAR HER WAILING INFANT
Florida middle school teacher Amanda Hicks was killed Saturday in a murder-suicide by her fiancé. Her little girl, Alani, was present in the apartment. (Martin County School District/Facebook)
"His family member didn’t answer the phone and saw all these missed calls the next morning and tried to call him back but couldn't get a hold of him," Dellacroce said. The relative then called 911 to request a welfare check.
Officers arrived at the Peacock Run Apartments about 11:45 a.m. and found two bodies on the floor through the back sliding glass doors and heard Hicks' 10-month-old Alani wailing.
They forced their way into the house and found the child unharmed. The baby is now with a relative.
"Obviously, something happened inside that led to him stabbing her and shooting himself," Dellacroce added. "That is all still under investigation."
Florida teacher Amanda Hicks, 26, was stabbed to death by her fiancé in a murder-suicide while her infant daughter was home. (Instagram/Angelink)
The couple had moved into the three-story apartment complex a few weeks prior, and it was the first time police had responded to the address. Police did not disclose whether the fiancé is the child's father.
One of Hicks' neighbors told TCPalm on Monday she heard a shriek from the couple's apartment at about 11:30 p.m. Friday night.
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"I heard a very loud, screechy scream," Monica Ventura, 56, told the local newspaper. "That scream stays in my head."
The principal of the Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School, where Hicks had taught sixth- and seventh-grade reading since 2019, emailed staff over the weekend.
Slain Florida teacher Amanda Hicks poses with her brother, Eric Hicks. (Facebook)
"While words will never be enough to convey the shock and sadness this news has brought to our school family, it is more important than ever to come together to support one another through our grief journey," the message says.
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A friend launched an AngeLink fundraiser to benefit the slain mother's family.
"She will be deeply missed and didn’t deserve to leave this world so soon by someone else’s hand," the page says.
Her brother, Eric Hicks, wrote on Facebook, "Y’all plz help us raise money for my sister's funeral and service and everything."
