A 4-year-old Texas girl was shot and killed by her mother in an apparent murder-suicide just hours after a judge placed the child in her father’s primary care, according to Houston police.
The child, identified by relatives as Vivian Savella, was found dead Tuesday evening inside a home in west Houston.
Her mother, 35-year-old Cibelle Savella, was also found suffering from a gunshot wound that police said was self-inflicted.
Cibelle was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
Houston police announced Thursday that she had died from her injuries.
Officers responded to the home on Terra Reserve Place at approximately 5:45 p.m. after receiving a report of a shooting.
Investigators said Vivian’s stepfather and a babysitter were downstairs when they heard gunfire coming from the second floor.
The two reportedly went upstairs and entered Vivian’s bedroom.
There, they found the young girl and her mother suffering from gunshot wounds.
Vivian was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities believe the shooting occurred just hours after a custody hearing involving Vivian’s parents.
Houston Police Lt. Larry Crowson said the court hearing “didn’t go well for the mother.”
Investigators believe Cibelle returned home following the hearing before shooting Vivian and then herself.
Earlier that day, a judge had placed Vivian in the primary care of her father, Aaron Savella.
According to the family, Vivian was expected to be transferred to her father later that same evening.
Court-record reporting indicated that Aaron had been granted temporary exclusive authority over several major decisions involving his daughter.
Those included determining where Vivian would live as well as decisions involving her education and medical care.
Cibelle’s contact with her daughter was reportedly restricted to supervised visitation.
Additional restrictions were also imposed.
Cibelle, who was originally from Brazil, was reportedly ordered to only speak Portuguese with Vivian when a supervisor who understood the language was present.
She was also reportedly restricted from attending certain school and extracurricular activities.
The court further ordered her to pay child support and a portion of Vivian’s medical expenses not covered by insurance, per Trending Politics.
The complete circumstances that led the judge to impose those restrictions have not been publicly disclosed.
Vivian’s family released a statement through attorneys following the child’s death.
“Our family is devastated,” the statement said.
“Vivian was four years old. She was loved without limit by her father, Aaron, and by everyone whose life she touched.”
The family said Aaron had relied on the court system throughout the custody dispute and believed Vivian would finally be coming home to him after the ruling.
“He trusted the courts. He followed every order. He waited for the process to work,” the family said.
Vivian “was supposed to come home to him that evening. She never did,” the statement added.
Charlotte Rainwater, an attorney representing Aaron, said she had never experienced a case ending this way during nearly three decades practicing family law.
“I don’t think anyone in this courtroom on Tuesday contemplated this could be the outcome,” Rainwater said.
Houston police are investigating the deaths as an apparent murder-suicide.
Authorities have not publicly indicated that either Vivian’s stepfather or the babysitter was involved in the shooting.
The investigation remains focused on the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the events that unfolded after the custody hearing.
