An off-duty sheriff’s deputy in California killed the mother of his children and later took his own life during a police standoff.
According to the Santa Rosa Police Department, officers responded around 7 p.m. on August 10 to a 911 call from a neighbor at an apartment complex in Santa Rosa. The neighbor said that Jeremy Lyle, 44, a sheriff’s deputy, handed her an infant and told her to call 911 because “the child’s mother was hurt.” He then left the area.
When police entered the apartment of Mari Bonnici, 38, a detention specialist with the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department, they found her dead from at least one gunshot wound. Two other young children were found unharmed in a back bedroom.
About 30 minutes later, police located Lyle’s truck near the county coroner’s office. Officers found him standing in the truck bed with a handgun pressed to his back.
For hours, authorities tried to negotiate his surrender. Around 2 a.m.—seven hours after the first 911 call—Lyle shot himself. His death was witnessed by law enforcement at the scene, according to the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.
Police believe the case was tied to domestic violence, but there were no prior reports of such incidents between Lyle and Bonnici. Their three children are now in the care of relatives.
In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office said:
“We recognize the profound shock and concern that this incident brings to our community. Both the Sheriff’s Office and the community place immense trust in those who are dedicated to serving and protecting. No level of training or experience can fully prepare us for such a tragedy.”
Police said this was the ninth homicide in Santa Rosa this year, and the third murder-suicide.
