5-year-old runs for help as man kills her mom, then kills another man, Florida cops say
A man killed a woman with her 5-year-old as a witness, then he stole her SUV and killed another man, Florida authorities said.
Now, 35-year-old Silvio Franco Peralta faces an array of charges, including two counts of murder, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Tampa Police Department.
His attorney’s information was not available in court records July 15.
The afternoon of July 13, Franco Peralta was dropped off at a home where 31-year-old Lianet Santos Sosa was in the bedroom with her 5-year-old daughter, deputies said.
The young girl later told deputies Franco Peralta walked into the bedroom and dragged her mom into the bathroom, then he slammed her head against the shower and she started bleeding, according to an arrest affidavit.
The 5-year-old ran outside to get help and told two people what happened, saying, “I don’t love Silvio, he killed my mom,” the affidavit says.
The medical examiner reported that Sosa also had 13 stab wounds.
Then, Franco Peralta is accused of stealing the woman’s SUV and driving to a home in Tampa. He told 34-year-old Yosdany Rivero Morales what happened with the woman and asked for help getting rid of a weapon and other items, police said.
But as Morales tried to go back inside the home, Franco Peralta stabbed him, police said.
Franco Peralta initially told police the man pulled a gun on him, but investigators said the evidence suggested otherwise.
He left in the woman’s SUV, but when deputies found the vehicle, he led them on a chase, Florida authorities said. He jumped out of the SUV and fled on foot until he was eventually taken into custody, according to law enforcement.
Police said Morales and Franco Peralta knew each other. The sheriff’s office did not share the relationship between Franco Peralta and Sosa.
This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 2:13 PM with the headline "5-year-old runs for help as man kills her mom, then kills another man, Florida cops say."