Seven Broward Sheriff’s Office Members Suspended Following Fatal Domestic Violence Case

Seven members of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) have been suspended after an internal review found failures in the agency’s response to a domestic violence case that ended in a triple murder, Sheriff Gregory Tony announced Wednesday.

The suspended officers are Lt. Michael Paparella, Sgt. Travis Allen, Sgt. Devoune Williams, Deputy Ilany Ceballos, Deputy Brittney King, Deputy Joseph Sasso, and Deputy Daniel Munoz. Their service spans five to 28 years, with Paparella being the most senior.

Sheriff Acknowledges Failures

“In this administration, we put forth everything necessary to be successful. It is inexcusable that individuals failed to perform their jobs,” Tony said during a press conference. “It is clear we fell short. We fell short on this one.”

Tony took responsibility for the case’s handling, saying, “This death is on my watch. I’m the sheriff of this county. I’m responsible.”

The case involves 43-year-old Nathan Gingles, who authorities say violated a restraining order and fatally shot his father-in-law, David Ponzer, before killing his estranged wife, Mary Gingles, and their neighbor, Andrew Ferrin. Mary had tried to escape and hide at Ferrin’s home before she was murdered.

The killings occurred in front of the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, Seraphine, who was later found unharmed when Gingles was arrested at a nearby Walmart after attempting to kidnap her, deputies said.

Missed Warnings and Law Enforcement Inaction

One of the suspended deputies reportedly saw Nathan walking down the street with the child hours before the murders but failed to investigate further.

“He’s walking with a child, maybe 4 years old, and she has no shoes on,” the deputy said over the radio.

Despite not being sure if the man and child were connected to the case, the deputy did not take any further action.

Mary had been seeking help for over a year, warning authorities that Nathan was going to kill her. Court records detail a disturbing pattern of threats, stalking, and abuse, including:

• Nathan placing a tracker on Mary’s car
• Taking away her car to control her movements
• Tampering with her security cameras
• Building a “kill bag” filled with zip ties and handcuffs
• Using his ex-military status and high security clearance to manipulate law enforcement

Despite these red flags and a restraining order, deputies failed to intervene. Tony admitted that authorities could have pursued probable cause for an arrest but didn’t.

Community Outrage and Calls for Accountability

The case has sparked outrage from the victims’ families and the community. Mary’s uncle, Frank Ponzer, expressed frustration over the department’s inaction.

“He was stalking her to kill her, and she revealed that to the police department. They did nothing. They did nothing!” Ponzer said.

Neighbors are struggling to process the tragedy.

“To imagine that a neighbor of mine had been suffering for over a year, so close to me, it really hits home,” said one neighbor.

“They failed to protect her,” another neighbor added.

Sheriff Promises Reform

Sheriff Tony vowed systemic changes to prevent similar failures in the future.

“To those mothers and women out there who think that we are going to drop the ball… I am going to send the fear of God among this entire agency to make damn sure we don’t do this again.”

Tony confirmed that a full investigation is ongoing and that the actions of each suspended deputy will be reviewed.

Next Steps

• Nathan Gingles remains in jail with no bond.
• The couple’s 4-year-old daughter is now in state custody.
• A candlelight vigil is planned for Sunday evening in honor of the victims.
• BSO’s internal investigation will continue, with further accountability measures expected.