An abducted 4-year-old girl was found Sunday morning in the company of her father, who had a domestic violence restraining order barring him from contact with the girl’s mother — who was found shot to death in a Tamarac, Florida, home.
Reports of a shooting brought Tamarac police to the home at about 6 a.m. Sunday morning, according to the Miami Herald. They found a person dead inside and issued an Amber Alert for 4-year-old Seraphina Gingles.
Nathan Gingles’ compact SUV with a Texas tag was found at the address of a Walmart in North Lauderdale just after 11 a.m., and deputies also found Gingles and the little girl.
Police have issued confusing statements about the crime. Initially, they said they found a man shot at the residence and that he died. They said they believed the girl’s mother, Mary Gingles, had also been abducted by Nathan Gingles, but later said that the mother was found shot to death. It’s not clear who the man was. Police have not provided an update since about 1 p.m.
Deputies said Seraphina had been living with her mother while her parents had been going through a divorce. Proceedings began on February 20, 2024, but Mary Gingles had obtained a domestic violence restraining order against her husband 11 days earlier.
The restraining order was dismissed on July 10, but Mary Gingles obtained another on December 30, and it was extended on January 22 with another hearing set for March 19.
Nathan Gingles has so far only been charged with violating an injunction barring contact with Mary Gingles or her daughter.
Anyone with information about this incident should contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).
