Two deputies in one county along Florida’s Treasure Coast, who were the parents of an infant child, took their own lives this past weekend.
NBC affiliate WPTV-TV reports St. Lucie County Deputy Clayton Osteen attempted to kill himself just before midnight on New Year’s Eve and was taken off life support Sunday.
Shortly after learning of his death, Deputy Victoria Pacheco - who shared a one-month-old son with Osteen - took her own life, according to Sheriff Ken Mascara.
"Words cannot express the tremendous loss we all feel after losing these two members of our sheriff's office family," Mascara said in a statement. " To the general public, and sometimes even myself, it's easy to view law enforcement as superhuman … but let's not forget that they're human just like us."
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Investigators did not release details on either incident or who will have custody of the child.
Anyone struggling with thoughts of suicide is encouraged to call the National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-TALK.
