Several Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) deputies have been placed on leave as authorities investigate failures in handling a domestic violence case that escalated into a triple murder in Tamarac last Sunday. Sheriff Gregory Tony, in a blistering news conference Wednesday, condemned the response of his officers, calling it a “piss-poor performance.”
“This is just individuals not doing what they’re supposed to do,” Tony said. “I’m regrettably sorry to bring this to this family, because … I’m basically saying we had a chance to save your loved one’s life, and we failed.”
The tragedy and missed warnings
The tragedy unfolded around 6 a.m. Sunday when 43-year-old Nathan Gingles fatally shot his estranged wife, Mary Gingles, 34, her father, David Ponzer, 64, and neighbor Andrew Ferrin, 36.
According to an arrest warrant, Ponzer was drinking coffee on his daughter’s back patio when Gingles shot him. He then chased Mary into a neighbor’s home, where he killed both her and Ferrin in front of his own 4-year-old daughter.
An Amber Alert was issued for the child, and police later found her with Gingles at a Walmart in North Lauderdale. He was arrested on charges of three counts of first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse, child neglect, burglary, and interference with custody.
But court records show this violence didn’t come out of nowhere.
Mary Gingles had been in a contentious divorce with her husband and had twice obtained domestic violence injunctions against him. In December, she made a chilling discovery in her garage: plastic gloves, zip ties, a crushed white powder, and a handwritten note listing possible ways to kill someone: “air embolism, psych medications, waterboarding.”
“I think it is imminent that he will attempt to murder me,” she wrote at the time.
BSO received multiple reports from her, including one in which she found a tracking device on her car, identical to one her husband had purchased.
Sheriff Tony admitted his office failed to act on these warnings. “It’s clear that we probably could have done more,” Tony said. “At that time, based on the evidence and things that were presented, there was enough there … so we could arrest him and take him off the street. And that didn’t happen. We know that.”
Investigation into BSO deputies’ failures
The seven employees placed on leave include two sergeants, a lieutenant, and four deputies. Among them is Sgt. Travis Allen, who played a key role in one of the biggest failures of the case.
According to the arrest warrant, after the murders, Allen saw a man dressed in black walking through the neighborhood with a small, barefoot child—later confirmed to be Gingles and his daughter. Despite this, no immediate action was taken.
“This is just a matter of what I’ve seen of piss-poor performance, complacency, and people not doing their due diligence,” Tony said.
Other deputies placed on leave include:
- Sgt. Devoune Williams, 51, with 20 years of service
- Lt. Michael Paparella, 50, with 28 years of service
- Deputy Joseph Sasso, 57, with eight years of service
- Deputy Ilany Ceballos, 27, with five years of service
- Deputy Brittney King, 29, with five years of service
- Deputy Daniel Munoz, 29, with five years of service
Tony made it clear terminations are coming.
In the November 2024 election, Gregory Tony secured another four years as BSO sheriff.
Tony, who was appointed sheriff by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in 2019 and later won election in 2020, campaigned on a platform emphasizing enhanced training programs for first responders.
Despite the department’s failures, Tony urged residents not to lose faith in BSO.
“To the community, I just want to leave them with some level of assurance,” he said. “We understand what our shortcomings were in this incident, and we’re going to get them right.”
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