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Hillsborough reserve deputy sexually battered 2 women, killed himself, deputies say

Edward Brito’s status as a volunteer deputy was revoked after allegations that he sexually battered one of the same women in a domestic-related incident in June.
 
Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates.
Check tampabay.com for the latest breaking news and updates. [ Photo illustration by ASHLEY DYE and LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
Published July 25, 2022|Updated July 25, 2022

A man who volunteered as a reserve deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office sexually battered two women at a Riverview home Sunday night and then killed himself while still in the home, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Edward Brito approached one of the women outside her home around 11:15 p.m., Chief Deputy Donna Lusczynski said during a news conference Monday that was livestreamed by 10 Tampa Bay. Brito forced the woman at gunpoint into the home, where another woman also was inside.

“During the course of the evening, he sexually battered both subjects and then, at one point, turned the firearm on himself,” Lusczynski said.

Lusczynski, who described it as a domestic-related situation, did not say how long the batteries lasted or what happened in the time between them and Brito killing himself.

The women were able to call 911 around 4:30 a.m. Monday, and the Sheriff’s Office responded. Neither woman had life-threatening injuries, the agency said in a media release.

Brito was employed as a reserve II deputy and worked about 38 hours per month, according to the release. A reserve deputy is unpaid and performs tasks such as helping out at community events while under the supervision of a full-time deputy. Brito volunteered from Feb. 25, 2021, to June 5.

On June 4, Brito was served with a domestic violence injunction after a reported sexual battery against one of the same women he is accused of attacking Sunday. Brito’s volunteer status was terminated the following day, June 5.

The Times is not naming that woman because of the nature of the case.

According to the injunction, Brito held the woman at gunpoint and then sexually battered her. The woman told authorities that she was fearful about reporting the attack and was worried Brito may retaliate against her.

The Sheriff’s Office is waiting on DNA results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in connection to the June investigation, and those results may have led to criminal charges against Brito, the release said.

The injunction said Brito had three firearms, including a service weapon from the Sherriff’s Office, at the time of the June incident. All three guns were confiscated for evidence during the June investigation, the injunction said.

“We do know that somehow he obtained a firearm to kill himself,” Lusczynski said. “And that’s what we are trying to determine — ‘How did he get that gun?’”

Domestic violence incidents involving firearms are 12 times more likely to result in death than incidents involving other weapons or bodily force, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Lusczynski said that volunteer deputies go through a thorough background check process.

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“We look into their history, talk to them, talk to previous employers and, unfortunately, in this case, there was nothing that indicated anything like this would occur,” she said.

Hillsborough County records indicate that the same woman who filed for an injunction against Brito in June had sought a domestic violence injunction against him more than 20 years ago, but the matter was dropped.

“Domestic violence of any kind is never acceptable and is not tolerated within or outside of our agency, regardless of one’s status as a sworn, civilian, or volunteer employee,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement included in the news release.

How to get help

If you are in immediate danger from domestic violence, call 911. Here’s how to reach Tampa Bay’s domestic violence agencies for help:

Hillsborough County: Call or text The Spring of Tampa Bay’s 24-hour crisis line at 813-247-7233 or visit online at thespring.org. The TTY line is 813-248-1050.

Pasco County: Contact Sunrise of Pasco County via its 24-hour hotline at 1-888-668-7273 or 352-521-3120, or go online at www.sunrisepasco.org.

Pinellas County: Contact Community Action Stops Abuse, or CASA, by calling the 24-hour hotline at 727-895-4912, texting casa-stpete.org/chat or visiting casapinellas.org. The TTY line at 727-828-1269.

• • •

Domestic violence warning signs

  • Abuser isolates victim from friends or family.
  • Victim is encouraged or forced to stop participating in activities important to them.
  • Abuser controls finances or puts victim on an allowance, asks for explanations of spending.
  • Victim is blamed for their feelings, yelled at or made to feel “small.”
  • Abuser criticizes and controls victim’s appearance, including what they can wear.
  • Abuser abandons victim in places they don’t know.
  • Abuser keeps victim from eating, sleeping or getting medical care.
  • Abuser throws or punches things around victim.

If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, reach out to the 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741 or chat with someone online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay can be reached by dialing 211 or by visiting crisiscenter.com.