A man who volunteered as a reserve deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sexually assaulted two women at a Riverview home Sunday night and then killed himself while still at home, according to the ‘sheriff’s office.
Edward Brito approached one of the women outside her home around 11:15 p.m., Chief Deputy Donna Lusczynski said during a news conference Monday that was broadcast live by 10 Tampa Bay. Brito forced the woman at gunpoint into the house, where another woman was also present.
“During the night, he sexually assaulted both subjects and then at one point turned the firearm on himself,” Lusczynski said.
Lusczynski, who described it as a domestic situation, did not say how long the battery lasted or what happened in the time between it and Brito killing himself.
The women were able to call 911 around 4:30 a.m. Monday and the sheriff’s office responded. Neither woman had life-threatening injuries, the agency said in a news release.
Brito was employed as a Reserve Deputy II and worked about 38 hours a month, according to the release. A reserve adjunct is unpaid and performs tasks such as helping out at community events while under the supervision of a full-time adjunct. Brito volunteered from February 25, 2021 to June 5.
On June 4, Brito received a domestic violence restraining order after a sexual assault complaint against one of the same women he is accused of assaulting on Sunday. Brito’s volunteer status ended the next day, June 5.
The Times is not naming that woman because of the nature of the case.
According to the court order, Brito held the woman at gunpoint and then sexually assaulted her. The woman told authorities she was afraid to report the attack and worried Brito might retaliate against her.
The Sheriff’s Office is awaiting DNA results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in connection with the June investigation, and those results may have led to criminal charges against Brito, according to the release.
The warrant said Brito had three firearms, including a sheriff’s office service weapon, at the time of the June incident. All three guns were seized as evidence during the June investigation, the court order said.
“We know that he somehow obtained a firearm to kill himself,” Lusczynski said. “And that’s what we’re trying to determine: ‘How did he get that weapon?’
Domestic violence incidents involving firearms are 12 times more likely to result in death than incidents involving other weapons or physical force, according to the National Coalition against Domestic Violence.
Lusczynski said volunteer deputies go through a thorough background check process.
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“We look at their history, we talk to them, we talk to previous employers, and unfortunately in this case, there was nothing to indicate that something like this would happen,” he said.
Hillsborough County records show that the same woman who sought a restraining order against Brito in June had sought a domestic violence restraining order against him more than 20 years ago, but the matter was dropped.
“Domestic violence of any kind is never acceptable and is not tolerated inside or outside of our agency, regardless of status as a sworn, civilian or volunteer employee,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement included in the press release.
How to get help
If you are in immediate danger of domestic violence, call 911. Here’s how to contact Tampa Bay domestic violence agencies for help:
Hillsborough County: Call or text The Spring of Tampa Bay’s 24-hour crisis line at 813-247-7233 or visit online at thespring.org. The TTY line is 813-248-1050.
Pasco County: Contact Sunrise of Pasco County through its 24-hour hotline at 1-888-668-7273 or 352-521-3120, or go online at www.sunrisepasco.org.
Pinellas County: Contact Community Action Stops Abuse, or CASA, by calling the 24-hour hotline at 727-895-4912, by texting. casa-stpete.org/chat or visitor casapinellas.org. The TTY line at 727-828-1269.
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Warning signs of domestic violence
The abuser isolates the victim from friends or family.The victim is encouraged or forced to stop participating in activities that are important to them.The abuser controls the finances or gives the victim an allowance, demands an explanation of the expenditure.The victim is blamed for their feelings, called on them, or made to feel “small”.The abuser criticizes and controls the victim’s appearance, including what they may wear.The aggressor abandons the victim in places they do not know.The abuser prevents the victim from eating, sleeping or receiving medical care.The assailant throws or hits things around the victim.
If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, contact the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 or chat with someone online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The Tampa Bay Crisis Center can be reached by dialing 211 or by visiting crisiscenter.com.
