Florida infant orphaned after parents die by suicide days apart

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The one-month-old child of two Florida sheriff’s deputies is now an orphan after his parents took their own lives within days of each other.

Clayton Osteen, 24, and Victoria Pacheco, 23, both worked at the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities received a call shortly before midnight on New Year’s Eve that Osteen attempted suicide. He was taken to hospital for his injuries.

Two days later, his family removed him from life support. In the wake of Osteen’s death, Pacheco took her own life.

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Osteen served as a U.S. marine, was a SWAT team member and was named Deputy of the Year in 2020. Pacheco joined the force in 2020.

“Clayton and Victoria were joy-filled, first-time parents excited about their growing family, enamored with their baby Jayce, and so in love with each other,” reads a GoFundMe page for the couple’s son.

“Tragically, for reasons completely unknown and totally out of character, Clayton took his own life December 31st, 2021,” it continued.

“Reeling from the shock of loss, Victoria took her own life two days later.”

St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken J. Mascara issued a statement on Tuesday, writing: “Words cannot express the tremendous loss we all feel after losing these two members of our sheriff’s office family.”

He continued, “As sheriff, I saw these two deputies as young, ambitious, and a great compliment to my already amazing group of professionals. 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.”

Mascara added that “the stress of those whom they serve” can result in law enforcement taking on that weight along with their own struggles.

“While it is impossible for us to fully comprehend the private circumstances leading up to this devastating loss, we pray that this tragedy becomes a catalyst for change, a catalyst to help ease the stigma surrounding mental well-being and normalize the conversation about the challenges so many of us face on a regular basis.”