PLANTATION, Fla. – A retired U.S. Marine accused of stabbing his wife 28 times and his 3-year-old son 4 times in Broward County had served in Iraq and suffered from post-traumatic rigidity dysfunction and a annoying mind harm, kinfolk advised police, consistent with information launched on Wednesday.
Before the murders on March 26 at his house in Plantation, Jean Carlo Aponte suffered from despair, was once “in constant pain,” had not on time a TBI-related surgical treatment in January, and had just lately observed a health care provider with The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, kinfolk advised police, information display.
Aponte, 40, “complained about having sleep issues lately and started taking Ambien” and he was once “trying new medications to help regulate his emotions,” consistent with Plantation Detective Sarah Schaut’s request for an arrest warrant.
Broward County courtroom information display Aponte were married 3 times. His first two marriages had ended with divorce and his 3rd was once about to finish too. Court information display his first wife filed for divorce a couple of months after the conflict in Iraq began in 2003, and he filed for divorce from his 2nd wife about 5 years after the conflict in Iraq ended.
The police investigation into the homicide that ended his 3rd marriage published that Aponte and Sara Ashley Gama — who had a toddler boy about 4 months in the past — have been having marital issues. The 38-year-old mom of his two sons was once taking into consideration a divorce.
On March 25, Gama’s searches on her iPhone incorporated “Just found out my husband cheated on me years ago” at about 5 p.m., and “How does alimony work in Florida” at about 6:30 a.m., on March 26, information display.
A couple of hours before the March 26 murders there was once a stressful alternate between them on Facebook Messenger about his infidelity, consistent with the arrest warrant.
“I understand I broke your trust,” Aponte wrote at 6:56 a.m.
Soon after, Gama wrote, “You broke a lot of things. It’s quite serious. You also broke our marriage vows.”
The stressful alternate persevered. Gama requested if he had additionally been disloyal throughout a travel to Colombia for his father’s funeral. And at about 7 p.m., Aponte, wrote, “I am not a good person.”
Aponte and Gama had identified each and every different before his 2nd marriage. Court information display that once a Seminole police officer accused him of resisting arrest Gama bonded him out in 2008. Records additionally display kinfolk advised police Aponte had anger problems and was once identified with TBI after a fistfight in 2007.
During their investigation into the murders, cops discovered video cameras in the home that recorded the sounds of Aponte and Gama arguing about his infidelity and later the frightening sounds of violence, consistent with an arrest warrant.
“I hope those videos and everything you got and all that stuff from the Super Bowl … where she was skinny and all that you wanted, I hope she was worth it,” she stated at about 8 a.m., consistent with police information.
Detectives reported that later, a video digital camera on the couple’s space recorded the sounds of him yelling, a “scared” kid screaming, a kid coughing, and “a loud slamming noise” at about 9:30 a.m.
The clinical examiner reported each Gama and Ethan suffered hand defensive wounds, and Gama suffered lots of the 28 stab wounds on her face and neck.
Gama additionally suffered wounds to her liver, stomach, jugular, and a fractured backbone, information display. After no longer listening to from them, Gama’s oldsters reported they went to the couple’s house and located the child crying.
There was once blood all over the place. Gama’s father reported discovering Gama in a pool of blood in the kitchen and Aponte at the flooring of the master suite. He advised police he couldn’t to find his 3-year-old grandson.
While Gama’s mom held the child, cops reported pulling Gama’s son Ethan Aponte out of the pool. The clinical examiner reported he suffered 4 stab wounds in the neck and died through drowning and sharp power harm, information display.
“Ethan was a cherished child whose presence brought warmth and joy to all those around him,” Renata Pavanelli wrote on a GoFundMe page to learn the grieving Gama circle of relatives.
Police officials reported Aponte had “labored breathing” and “a faint pulse,” they usually administered NARCAN, which will deal with a narcotic overdose in an emergency.
“Medical staff believed that [Aponte] appeared to have attempted to overdose on several of his prescribed medications,” Schaut wrote, consistent with the warrant.
While Aponte was once handled on March 26 on the Westside Regional Hospital, cops reported he sporadically talked whilst he was once in and out of sleep and stated, “I am sorry,” “I am taking it,” and “I did it.”
Aponte’s situation was once solid through March 27, however he remained hospitalized, police stated.
Meanwhile, in a lake in the again of the home, divers discovered two cellphones — an iPhone 13 belonging to Gama and a Samsung Galaxy belonging to Aponte, consistent with police.
Detectives additionally discovered proof of marital problems on WhatsApp and the iPhone’s seek historical past. They have pending warrants as a part of the continuing investigation, information display.
There was once an iPad in the master suite, consistent with police. The closing person typed “Call 911 online” in the quest box, however by no means completed the quest, information display.
Gama’s oldsters advised police that they visited the couple’s house in Plantation frequently and helped them with childcare wishes. They described Aponte as a loving father and husband.
Gama’s father “stated that he believed that [Aponte] managed his ‘issues’ well most of the time but knew him to have a few anger outbursts, although, these were never violent in nature,” Schaut wrote, consistent with the warrant.
Plantation cops arrested Aponte on Saturday on the Westside Regional Hospital, and he seemed in Broward County courtroom throughout a bond listening to on Sunday.
Broward County Circuit Judge Elijah Williams discovered possible reason for the 2 first-degree homicide fees, and he ordered a psychological well being analysis throughout the bond courtroom listening to.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies held Aponte with out bond on the primary prison in Fort Lauderdale. Broward County Circuit Judge Barbara R. Duffy was once set to preside over his capital murder case.
THE COST OF WAR
President George W. Bush introduced the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Aponte was once some of the multiple million U.S. Marines, sailors, airmen, and infantrymen who served there. By the time President Barack Obama ended the conflict in 2011, about 4,500 Americans had died.
Research shows U.S. Marines who have been deployed to Iraq had the next incidence of PTSD, a dysfunction that develops when an individual has skilled or witnessed a perilous tournament. There may be evidence of “an association between PTSD and behavior problems” in Marines who have been deployed to conflict.
According to the Wounded Warrior Project, it’s not unusual for army veterans to maintain overlapping signs from PTSD and TBI and it’s going to take years for those to be identified after harm and remedy must be multi-disciplinary.
There has been analysis achieved on how those are related to violent impulses and homicidal and suicidal ideations. In 2018, a find out about of army veterans who served after the September 11, 2001 assaults and lived with PTSD, TBI, and protracted ache showed the violence possibility was once “greater” and about 12% reported experiencing violent impulses.
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Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Stephany Heilbron contributed to this file.
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