Another deputy suspended – and top BSO officer demoted – after Broward triple murders
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Amber Alert unravels triple murder in Tamarac
Nathan Alan Gingles is accused of abducting his 4-year-daughter and killing her mother, grandfather and a neighbor in Tamarac.
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An eighth Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy was placed on administrative leave — and a top BSO officer in the Tamarac division was demoted — more than a week after a triple murder shocked a quaint residential neighborhood, officials said Wednesday.
Nathan Alan Gingles, 43, who had two court-issued domestic violence restraining orders against him, is accused of killing his wife, her father and her neighbor — all in front of the couple’s 4-year-old daughter — in a calculated murder spree across two homes around 6:30 a.m. on Feb. 16, according to investigators.
Ten days later, Captain Jemeriah Cooper, who has run the Tamarac district since 2021, was demoted, according to BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright. Lt. Emmanuel Koutsofios was appointed to Cooper’s former post.
Deputy Raul Ortiz — named in a domestic violence petition that Mary Catherine Gingles filed against her estranged husband Nathan — was placed on administrative leave with pay on Monday, Coleman-Wright said.
In October, Mary contacted BSO when she discovered that her husband had placed a tracker on her car, according to the petition she filed in December. She tried to schedule a meeting with Deputy Raul Ortiz, who didn’t answer nor return her call. Mary sent him a follow-up email — but he didn’t respond, the petition stated.
The latest announcement comes after Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony suspended seven deputies for their roles in the overall investigation, whether on the day of the murders or during previous calls to the house, 5897 Plum Bay Pkwy.
READ MORE: ‘We fell short:’ Seven Broward Sheriff’s deputies suspended after Tamarac triple murder
“We could have done more,” Tony said during a news conference last week. “I’m not shy from holding us accountable. I’m not shy about taking an aggressive tone when we fail.”
‘I am fearful for my life’
For more than a year, Mary feared that her estranged husband was planning to kill her, court records show. A Broward judge issued a domestic violence restraining order against Nathan on Dec. 30 and in February 2024 after Mary detailed his cycle of violence.
“With Nathan’s violent history, his flagrant disregard for rules or laws, and his telling our daughter that he is going to kill me, I am fearful for my life...” Mary said in the December court petition. “He has already taken steps to prepare to murder me, but is waiting for the opportune time.”
READ MORE: Brother, uncle of slain Tamarac victims: ‘I wake up all-night long to this nightmare’
Deputies, however, didn’t seize Nathan’s weapons after a judge ordered his guns be removed in December. They also, according to Tony, were complacent and failed to do their due diligence when documenting and responding to calls dating back to last year.
There had been a “robust amount” of calls to the home, including one in December during which deputies may have had enough evidence to have arrested Nathan, Tony said. But they didn’t.
“I don’t want the public to lose faith,” Tony said. “...When we rectify this situation, I’m going to send the fear of God amongst this entire agency.”
Lt. Michael Paparella, Sgt. Travis Allen, Sgt. Devoune Williams, Deputy Ilany Ceballos and Deputy Brittney King, who all worked in the Tamarac area, were previously put on administrative investigative leave with pay, according to BSO. Also placed on leave were Civil Division Deputy Joseph Sasso and Dania Beach Deputy Daniel Munoz.
This story was originally published February 26, 2025 at 4:29 PM.
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