Hillsborough mother of 3 shot in her home, deputies say

A Hillsborough man who deputies say called 911 last week and reported that he had killed someone had fatally shot his wife in their home — and the couple’s three children were present at the time of the shooting, according to a criminal report affidavit.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from a residence in the 2600 block of Freeland Drive in Valrico around 9:30 p.m. July 3. The caller told authorities that “he ‘killed’ his wife and to ‘send someone,’” the affidavit said.

When deputies arrived on the scene they detained Enrique Toledo, 53. While searching the home, they discovered a woman lying in a pool of blood in the master bedroom, records show. The Sheriff’s Office did not name her, citing Marsy’s Law.

The couple’s three daughters were the only other people in the home at the time of the shooting, according to the report. One is a legal adult, while the others are 15 years old and 8 years old. During interviews with the two older children, they told deputies that their parents had been arguing prior to the shooting, the affidavit said.

Toledo and his wife had been openly discussing divorce for about three weeks before the incident, the report said. She was “unhappy” and wanted to end the marriage because of Toledo’s “jealous” behavior throughout their relationship, the two children said.

Toledo asked his wife on two separate occasions if they could stay together and work on the relationship, and she refused, according to the affidavit.

On the night of the killing, the oldest child told deputies that she heard her parents again arguing about Toledo’s jealousy. The daughter entered their bedroom and saw her mom sitting on the bed with her hands up in a “protective” position, according to the affidavit.

She said she then saw Toledo point a handgun at her mom and fire two times — and her mom fell forward off the bed, the report said. The eldest daughter told deputies she made eye contact with her dad before leaving the room.

The 15-year-old said she did not see the shooting, but she heard her parents arguing, then two gunshots. The 8-year-old child also heard the fight, and told detectives she heard two sounds that sounded like “firecrackers,” the affidavit said.

Toledo told a deputy to “do what you’re going to do to me,” according to the report affidavit. Toledo said his wife had a gun and he “thought she was playing.” He then took the gun from her and it “went off,” he told authorities. He refused to answer any further questions.

Toledo is facing a first-degree murder charge.