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'He Truly Is A Hero': Sheriff Says 14-Year-Old Boy Saved Young Sister's Life As She Was Allegedly Stabbed By Father's 'Paramour'
The 14-year-old boy leapt into action after Doris Espinoza-Rodriguez launched into an attack on his 10-year-old sister, according to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office in Florida.
A 14-year-old Florida boy heroically saved his 10-year-old sister’s life as a woman who lived in his home stabbed her, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office.
“He truly is a hero, and it goes to show the love of a sibling, you know, how far you’ll go to defend your sister, and my hat really goes off to this young man,” said Sheriff Marcos Lopez during a press conference Friday.
Doris Espinoza-Rodriguez, 38, is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of attempted felony murder, two counts of aggravated child abuse with a weapon, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.
Deputies said she got into an argument with Alleton Ricks on Jan. 16 while the two were out to dinner, and texted Ricks she would not be “going out by herself.” Deputies said she returned to the apartment the two shared with Ricks’ children along E. Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee. She allegedly said she wanted to harm herself, Ricks and the 14-year-old and 10-year-old, and they attempted to calm her down, according to court records reviewed by Oxygen.com.
“The defendant produced a knife, stated she was going to go out in a ‘bang,’” authorities wrote in court documents.
Espinoza-Rodriguez allegedly took a paring knife and stabbed the 10-year-old girl in her left shoulder, according to deputies. Her 14-year-old brother tried to separate the two and ended up stabbed in his shoulder and chest. Deputies said the dad was able to wrestle Espinoza-Rodriguez away from the children, while she allegedly stabbed him, and tossed the knife into another room, while holding her down until deputies arrived.
The 14-year-old boy called 911, and allegedly opened the door for sheriff’s deputies while visibly bleeding. Deputies found the 10-year-old girl in a bedroom “lying in a pool of blood” from what looked like several stab wounds, according to the sheriff’s office. They found Ricks “holding down” Espinoza-Rodriguez. Both children had “life-threatening injuries” and were taken by helicopter to the hospital. The sheriff said in Friday’s press conference both children are doing better.
“It’s always amazing what people will do when they’re put in these types of situations,” Sheriff Lopez said. “Even though he was 14 years old, it’s his sister, and he knew that her life was in danger and she could actually die. He immediately ran in there trying to save the life of his litter sister, which he probably did, and received stab wounds in the process.”
Prosecutors referred to Espinoza-Rodriguez as Ricks’ “paramour” in court documents. The sheriff described Ricks and Espinoza-Rodriguez as having an odd relationship.
“They weren’t really in a relationship where they came home and slept in the same room together,” Sheriff Lopez said. “I believe she rented a room, and every now and then they had casual sex. It is domestic, but not a relationship where they’re living as a family and were all together happy go lucky. He probably didn’t want anything else to do with her, they started arguing, and then she just lost it and went nuts.”
Espinoza-Rodriguez has a prior domestic violence charge, according to court documents obtained by Oxygen.com, but no further information was given.
“You don’t really know who you’re dealing with,” Sheriff Lopez said. “Whenever you have someone like this in your home and you’re renting a room to someone like this who has some issues, you probably want to do a background check before you allow people like this to be around your children and your family.”
Espinoza-Rodriguez was assigned a public defender, is still being held in the Osceola County Jail without bond, and is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Thursday afternoon, according to Osceola County court records.
