FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Seven members of the Broward Sheriff’s Office have been suspended following an internal review of the agency’s response to a domestic violence case that ended in a triple murder, Sheriff Gregory Tony announced.
The suspended members are Lt. Michael Paparella, Sgt. Travis Allen, Sgt. Devoune Williams, Deputy Ilany Ceballos, Deputy Brittney King, Deputy Joseph Sasso, and Deputy Daniel Munoz.
Their years of service range from five to 28 years, with Paparella being the most senior.
“In this administration, we put forth everything necessary to be successful. It is inexcusable that individuals failed to perform their jobs,” Tony said during a news conference held Wednesday. “It is clear we fell short. We fell short on this one.”
The sheriff acknowledged failures in the handling of the case involving 43-year-old Nathan Gingles, who is accused of killing his estranged wife, father-in-law and a neighbor in Tamarac on Sunday.
Tony took responsibility for the chaotic chain of events that occurred.
“This death is on my watch. It’s on my watch. I’m the sheriff of this county. I’m responsible,” said Tony.
Authorities said Nathan, who was under a restraining order, fatally shot his father-in-law, David Ponzer, before killing his wife, Mary Gingles, and their neighbor, Andrew Ferrin, as she tried to hide from him at Ferrin’s home.
The killings happened in front of the couple’s 4-year-old daughter Seraphine, who was later found unharmed when Gingles was arrested at a nearby Walmart after trying to kidnap her, deputies said.
One of the suspended members seems to have seen Nathan and the child walking down the street the morning of the killings and didn’t approach them.
“He’s walking with a child, maybe 4 years old, and she has no shoes on,” said a deputy over his radio on Sunday morning.
In that radio transmission, the deputy admits that he’s unsure if the people he is seeing walking are related to the case. But he did not proceed further to check.
Deputies said Mary had been trying to raise awareness to her situation for over a year and even predicted her own death by telling them her husband was going to kill her.
Court documents show Mary was living a difficult life as Nathan threatened her, placed a tracker on her car and even took away her car at one point.
At one point, after the restraining order was in place, Nathan appeared at the home with deputies to gather computers and their daughter’s birth certificate and passport.
Documents show that when Mary “complained that was not the intent of the injunction, the police said (father is ex-military and has high security clearance and seemed to be friendly with the officers), that it was ‘marital property'” and he could take them.
Despite all of these warnings, no action was taken by deputies.
“There was enough there where we could’ve potentially pursued a probable cause affidavit, so we can arrest him and take him off the streets, and that didn’t happen, we know that,” said Tony. “It’s clear that we probably could have done more in that element, and that’s what we’re looking at.”
The case has sparked criticism from the victims’ families and the community, with some saying the system failed to protect Mary despite prior warnings.
Mary’s uncle, Frank Ponzer, said Nathan tampered with her security cameras and even created a so-called “kill bag.”
“Zip ties, handcuffs, everything. He was stalking her to kill her and had a plan to kill her, and she revealed that to the police department. They did nothing. They did nothing!” said Frank. “He’s a psychopath creep who thought he was above the law. That’s what he thought.”
But Tony sent a reassuring message to the community about how deputies will handle similar cases.
“To the public, to the community, to those mothers and women out there who think that we are going to drop the ball and this is a consistent pattern, know this: When we rectify this situation, I am going to send the fear of God among this entire agency to make damn sure we don’t do this again,” he said.
Tony said he will look into everything that occurred. He did not give his opinion on the actions of each of the suspended deputies, but he said all of that information will be released as the investigation continues.
Neighbors have gathered, trying to come to terms with the violence that happened on their block.
“I don’t think I’ll ever not think about that,” said one neighbor. “To imagine that a neighbor of mine had been suffering for over a year, so close to me, it really hits home.”
“They failed to protect her,” said another neighbor.
The shooting remains under investigation.
Nathan remains behind bars. No bond has been posted.
As of Thursday morning, neighbors have planned a candlelight vigil for Sunday evening.
The child is under the state’s custody.
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