KEY POINTS

  • The man also tried to harm his step-son but the child managed to escape
  • A neighbor found the bodies after the 10-year-old ran to him for help
  • Two other children, aged 2 and 5, were found unharmed inside the house

A Florida man murdered his wife and ended his own life in front of three young children at their home in Deltona. The tragic murder-suicide happened after the couple argued over disciplining their child, police said.

The deceased were identified as Oscar Salazar and his wife Byanca Cruz, who were raising three kids together.

Cruz's 10-year-old son ran to a neighbor asking for help saying his stepfather had stabbed his mother. Volusia County officials arrived after the neighbor called 911 on discovering the husband and wife on the floor of their house at around 6 p.m. Monday, NY Post reported.

The couple's two other children, aged 2 and 5, were found unharmed at the residence.

The mother was pronounced dead at the scene, while Salazar died after he was shifted to a hospital with a self-inflicted wound to his neck. Salazar reportedly tried to stab the 10-year-old, but the boy managed to escape, Volusia County Sheriff's office said in a news release Tuesday.

"The initial investigation indicates Cruz and Salazar were arguing over Salazar's discipline of one of the children when Salazar attacked Cruz with a knife," the Sheriff's office said.

The family has been living in the house for over 5 months and there were no prior law enforcement calls from the residence, police said. However, the neighbors told the cops that they have overheard heated arguments from the couple's house several times.

According to reports, Salazar had a history of domestic violence and was arrested twice in 2016 for abusing Cruz, once while she was pregnant.

"It's classic domestic violence. That's the sad part of how these things end. There's a history there," Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said.

Salazar has been living illegally in the county using a stolen identity while Cruz was a legal U.S. resident alien, police said.

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Representation. A police line. VisionPics/Pixabay

Meanwhile, the 10-year-old's custody was given to his father while the two other children were placed under the care of their maternal grandmother.

"The children will need a lot of love and support as they deal with this tragedy today and for the rest of their lives. I am just so sorry for their pain," Chitwood added.

Anyone experiencing domestic violence in Volusia County has been asked to contact officials at a 24-hour domestic violence hotline at 386-255-2102.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours a day, all seven days a week.