An illegal immigrant from Belize who, according to sheriff’s officials, entered the U.S. through Texas has been arrested and charged with the murders of three members of his family and the unborn child of his cousin. Deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Ft. Myers, Florida, responded on Tuesday to a gruesome scene where they found the bodies of a 37-year-old woman, her 18-year-old daughter and the daughter’s 19-year-old boyfriend.
Police had been called to the scene after the woman’s husband heard her scream her last words during a phone conversation with him, according to police records. An 18-month-old child was also found, unharmed, at the scene.
Brian Omar Hyde, 19, who sheriff’s officials claimed entered the U.S. illegally from Belize through Texas, was arrested following a traffic stop for driving on the wrong side of the road and failure to maintain his lane. Officers with the Ft. Myers Police Department who stopped Hyde learned the vehicle was registered to the same address as the crime scene deputies were responding to at the time. He was also driving without a driver’s license.
Hyde had noticeable blood on his pants and shoes. He also had the keys for two other vehicles registered to that same address, a police report (attached below) revealed. Blood was also found on items inside the vehicle.
Lt. Scott Lineberger, with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed to Breitbart Texas that his department stated Hyde was an illegal immigrant who had entered the United States illegally through Texas about seven months ago.
Responding to an inquiry from Breitbart Texas, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) public affairs officer Nestor Yglesias wrote, “ICE has filed a request with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for notification if they intend to release the individual from custody.” Yglesias would not comment on any prior contact the agency has had with Hyde in terms of prior deportations or entries to the U.S., citing privacy policies.
Lineberger told Breitbart Texas that Hyde is being held on three counts of second degree murder and one count in connection with the death of the unborn child.
The victims were identified by police as Dorla Pitts, Starlett Pitts and Michael Kelly. Dorla Pitts was the aunt of the suspect, Brian Hyde. Starlett Pitts was his cousin. It was later learned that Starlett was about 27-weeks pregnant with a viable unborn child.
Dorla Pitt’s husband, Dorrien Pitts, was on the phone with her when she suddenly screamed, “Brian! What happened here? What happened?” according to Pitts statement to police. The phone disconnected after that. Further calls to that phone went unanswered.
Mr. Pitts called a neighbor, Hilbert Lewis, who went next door. He was continuing to try and call Dorla but there was no answer. Upon arriving at the home, he knocked on the door and rang the bell, police reports state. Mr. Pitts gave Lewis the digital code to the door and he unlocked it and made entry. Upon entering the home, Lewis discovered blood stains on the floor and the foot of a person lying on the floor. They foot was extended beyond the couch and was all he could see, the report states.
Lewis became frightened and retreated from the home and went out to the street where he called 9-1-1.
An autopsy revealed that all three victims were killed by “sharp force trauma” to the head and neck, the report states. It appears all three victims fought back against Hyde. All three sustained defensive wounds. The autopsy of Starlett Pitts also revealed she was approximately six-months pregnant and that the baby was viable. The cause of death for the unborn child was listed as “maternal homicidal violence.” Starlett was also the mother of the 18-month-old child who was found unharmed at the bloody scene.
Hyde did not confess to the crime and there appears to be no known motive for the killings at this time.
Breitbart Texas spoke with officials of the Lee County jail who confirmed Hyde was born in the country of Belize in Central America. The jail official also confirmed their records state Hyde did not have an ICE detainer.
Hyde has an extensive criminal record in Belize, according to an NBC-2 report from Ft. Myers. He was currently wanted in Belize in connection to a robbery of a cell phone store. He had also been arrested last year in Belize for allegedly assaulting a police officer. He is said to have come from a “criminal family” according to a newspaper reporter in Belize and reported by NBC-2. He may have also been involved in murders in that country.
Hyde remains in custody in the Lee County Corrections Facility pending a Sept. 15th arraignment.
Bob Price is a senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and on Facebook.
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