On March 10, 2024, a tragic incident occurred in a Miami-Dade apartment, resulting in the deaths of a family of four. Yumara Martinez Morejon, 50, her husband Victor Peñalba Gonzalez, 60, and their two children, Jason Peñalba, 18, and Stephanie Peñalba, 13, were found dead in their unit at the Royalton on the Green Apartments located at 17400 Northwest 68th Avenue.
The bodies were discovered on a Sunday night after officers responded to a welfare check.
The police found that Yumara Martinez Morejon and her children had died from gunshot wounds. Victor Peñalba Gonzalez, believed to be the perpetrator, was also found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The family had a complex history, with Yumara and Victor having been married since 2007 but having separated multiple times. Recently, Victor had lost his job with the Hialeah water department and had moved back in with Yumara and the children to help with the bills. However, the family had expressed disapproval of Victor moving back in, citing concerns about his behavior.
According to relatives, Yumara's brother, Juan Rodriguez, mentioned that the family knew about the couple's separations and reunions. He also stated that Yumara had not visited his house for a while due to the family's disapproval of her going back to Victor. The family's concerns were heightened by a cryptic message sent by Jason to a friend or girlfriend about two weeks before the incident, suggesting that something bad might happen if they did not hear from him within four to five days.
The exact timing of the killings is unclear, but police believe the bodies had been in the apartment for over a week before they were discovered. The incident has left the family devastated, with relatives struggling to understand why Victor committed such a tragic act. The Miami-Dade Police emphasized the importance of addressing domestic violence, noting that if left unattended, it can escalate and lead to tragedies like this one.
Stephanie, the 13-year-old daughter, attended Hialeah Middle School, where a crisis team was sent by the school district to support her classmates. The community and the family are still grappling with the aftermath of this horrific event, which has had a profound impact on those who knew the victims.
