KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A man shot and killed himself after officers pulled him over — with his kids in the back seat of his vehicle Wednesday night. Then, an officer responding to the scene crashed and flipped his cruiser.
Kissimmee police say the incident stems from a child pornography investigation that could go beyond Florida state lines.
- Man shoots self in vehicle with children inside
- Responding officer involved in rollover crash
- Children removed by officers and were unharmed
Kissimmee Police say they began investigating suspect Luis Valentin on Tuesday, after receiving information about possible child pornography.
On Wednesday, after gathering enough evidence to charge Valentin, two detectives found and stopped his vehicle on John Young Parkway near Mabbette Street.
“There were two children in the back seat, and as they got to the front window, they saw Valentin with a handgun pointed to his head,” said Kissimmee Police Deputy Chief Daniel Schad.
The detectives were able to safely remove the children, but moments later police say Valentin shot himself in the chest. He died from his injuries.
Police say now, their focus is to find all victims related to Valentin’s child porn charges.
“We are working with child protection team and DCF to locate these victims and bring this investigation to a conclusion,” Schad said.
Because this is an ongoing investigation, police would not comment on how many victims there could be, who first contacted police, or what specific charges Valentin was facing.
Spectrum News looked into Valentin’s court records, and found he had an arrest warrant out of Wisconsin for failure to support. He also had a lengthy history of domestic and traffic cases.
A former neighbor who did not want to go on camera called Valentin “creepy” and complained to their apartment manager.
Valentin’s two children, ages 7 and 11, are safe and with their mother.
If you believe your child may be a victim, you’re asked to call Kissimmee Police at 407-847- 0176 extension 3248. or the Florida Department of Children and Families abuse hotline: 1-800-96-ABUSE.