Florida Newborn Baby Orphaned After Parents Die by Suicide

A newborn baby in Florida became an orphan after his parents, who both work as sheriff deputies, took their own lives within a day of each other.

Deputy Clayton Osteen of St. Lucie County died by suicide on Sunday, January 2, and his wife, Deputy Victoria Pacheco, did the same the next day, according to a statement released by Sheriff Ken Mascara. The sheriff said that both parents were an integral part of his team.

The reports stated that Mascara's team responded to the call regarding Osteen's suicide attempt on New Year's Eve. He was taken to the hospital due to his injuries, but he was removed on life support that Sunday.

The following day, the sheriff's office learned that Pacheco had taken her own life, reeling from the loss of her husband. Mascara said they are devastated about this tragedy, but he hopes this will be a catalyst that could "ease the stigma" on normalizing conversations about one's mental health.

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Adored His Wife and Child

Osteen's loved ones wrote that he adored his wife and child in his obituary. He was also very proud of becoming a dad among his accomplishments. Osteen and Pacheco welcomed their son, Jayce Osteen, on Nov. 22, 2021.

A GoFundMe Page was set up by Kelly Ridle, the mother of the couple's co-worker, to help the baby have a "brighter future." Ridle stated that a close family member has decided to adopt Jayce.

Records show that Clayton, a former U.S. Marine, joined the sheriff's office sometime in 2019, followed by Pacheco in 2020. They both received commendations at work, especially Pacheco, who earned a life-saving award after helping a person who overdosed on drugs.

Dana Bennett, a retired deputy, said that many people don't understand the pressures of their work, and he wondered if this was partly why the couple struggled. Bennett now works as a volunteer at a helpline for families who are in law enforcement, dubbed Copline (call 800-COP-LINE). He said that they don't provide counsel but only listen to the problems of their callers.

Copline is a unique service because the person helping at the other end of the line is also a former cop. So, they best understand what the caller is going through. Conversations through this service are kept confidential and anonymous.

Bennet said that the service was established following an uptick of suicides among police officers, prompting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to say that mental health support and resources should be prioritized among first responders.

Expanding Mental Health Services to Cops

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis recently announced providing $12 million in funds for the expansion of mental health services across six areas of the Department of Children and Families. This money will support current peer-based services to bolster the intervention efforts addressing issues among the deputies and first responders.

"Firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical service personnel are often the first on scene when a critical incident occurs," the governor's spokesperson said. "They are repeatedly exposed to stressful and potentially traumatizing scenes and events."

Meanwhile, if you or someone in your family is struggling, phone the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline via 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or send the text message STRENGTH to 741-741, the Crisis Text Line, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org for more details.

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