Deputy Killed Ex, Handed Infant To Neighbor, And Shot Self After Hours-Long Standoff: PD

SANTA ROSA, CA — An off-duty Sonoma County sheriff’s deputy killed his ex-domestic partner at her home, left his twin toddlers alone with their mother’s body and fatally shot himself in front of police after an hours-long standoff, authorities said Monday.

Officers responded around 7 p.m. Sunday to an apartment in the 4600 block of Quigg Drive in Santa Rosa after a neighbor reported a man — later identified as Jeremy Lyle — had gone to her unit, handed her a baby and told her to call 911 because the child’s mother was hurt, according to police. Lyle, 44, then left, police said.

Officers found 38-year-old Mari Bonnici dead on a couch with at least one gunshot wound, according to police, who discovered the twins in a back bedroom.

Lyle and Bonnici, who also worked for the sheriff’s office as a detention specialist, are the parents of all three children, police said, adding the toddlers and baby were not hurt and are in the care of family.

READ MORE: OC Deputy Shoots, Kills Roommate While Off-Duty: Police

Around 7:30 p.m., police learned Lyle’s truck was in the parking lot of the Sonoma County Coroner’s Office in the 3300 block of Chanate Road, according to authorities, who said the road was closed as a precaution.

Officers saw Lyle standing in his truck bed with a handgun behind his back, police said. After an hours-long standoff involving SWAT and hostage negotiations teams, Lyle died of a single self-inflicted gunshot wound around 2 a.m. Monday, according to police.

Lyle and Bonnici had been domestic partners but were separated, police said, adding there were no previous domestic violence reports involving either.

Lyle was hired by the sheriff’s office in 2015 and had served in Timber Cove since late 2019, according to the agency.

“The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office family is grieving an unimaginable loss,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post. “… This tragic event is particularly shocking because it involves a law enforcement officer. We recognize the profound shock and concern that this incident brings to our community.

“… We extend our deepest condolences to both families and loved ones. We are grieving alongside them and are working to support our Sheriff's Office family. We ask for privacy for Mari's family and members of the Sheriff's Office as we grieve and navigate this heartbreaking time.”

People experiencing domestic violence in Sonoma County can get legal help, counseling and advocacy from the Family Justice Center of Sonoma County at 2755 Mendocino Ave., Suite 100, in Santa Rosa, or by calling 707-565-8255. Counseling, shelter, support groups and a 24/7 domestic violence crisis hotline are available through YWCA Sonoma County at 811 Third St. in Santa Rosa or by calling 707-546-1234.