Baby Orphaned As Parents, Both Florida Deputies, Die By Suicide

ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FL — A 1-month-old baby in Florida is orphaned after his parents, both deputies for the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, took their lives within days of each other, authorities said.

The two deputies — Clayton Osteen, 24, and Victoria Pacheco, 23 — had been involved in a long-term relationship and were “filled with joy” when their son, Jayce Osteen, was born on Nov. 22, their friend Kelly Ridle wrote in a crowdfunding campaign.

Ridle said Osteen’s suicide was for “reasons completely unknown and totally out of character,” and that Pacheco took her life because she was “reeling from the shock of the loss.”

Osteen’s brother, also a St. Lucie County deputy, plans to adopt Jayce, Ridle wrote.

St. Lucie County deputies received a call just before New Year’s Eve that Osteen had attempted suicide. His family took him off life support Sunday. The sheriff’s office confirmed Pacheco’s suicide on Tuesday.

Sheriff Ken Mascara didn’t speculate on what caused the deputies to take their lives, but he pointed out police officers “deal with not only the day-to-day stress we all face but also the stress of those whom they serve in the community, which can sometimes be very challenging.”

“It’s easy to see law enforcement as superhuman,” he said in a statement posted on social media, “but let’s not forget they’re human just like the rest of us.”

The GoFundMe campaign for the couple’s son had raised nearly $12,500 by Thursday afternoon.

“Clayton and Victoria were joy-filled, first-time parents excited about their growing family, enamored with their baby Jayce, and so in love with each other,” Ridle wrote. The couple’s son “now needs the support of community and country to help provide for him going forward,” she said.

Osteen served in the U.S. Marine Corps, and in 2019 joined the sheriff’s office, where he served on the SWAT team. He was named St. Lucie County Deputy of the Year in 2020, and both Osteen and Pacheco received commendations for saving the lives of two people who overdosed on drugs in separate incidents.

Osteen’s obituary describes him as “one hell of a funny guy, someone you could always count on in the time of need, and loved being an uncle.”

“He absolutely adored his significant other and mother of his child,” the obituary stated. “But of all his accomplishments, he was most proud of being a dad.”

Mascara, the county sheriff, said the deputies’ suicides should spark a conversation about mental health and well-being.

“While it is impossible for us to fully comprehend the private circumstances leading up to this devastating loss, we pray that this tragedy becomes a catalyst for change, a catalyst to help ease the stigma surrounding mental well-being and normalize the conversation about the challenges so many of us face on a regular basis,” the sheriff’s office said.

Retired police officer Dana Bennett told WPTV the suicides raise awareness about the issues cops take home with them at the end of their shifts. He retired from police work in New Jersey in the mid-1990s and now volunteers for Copline, a confidential, one-to-one helpline for first responders and their families.

“People don't understand what we take home with us,” Bennett said.

“It's devastating. It really is," he told WPTV. “When one of us hurts, we all hurt.”

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If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.