Odalys Bancroft was a “beacon of kindness and love,” says a GoFundMe page in her and her son’s honor
GoFundMe
Odalys Bancroft with son Theodore Couto
A Florida man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend and her four-year-old son in broad daylight outside a bank before turning the gun on himself.
On Friday, June 7, Odalys Maria Bancroft, 43, was driving a minivan with her 4-year-old son, Theodore Couto, when she stopped at a drive-thru ATM at Chase Bank in West Kendall, Miami, around 7:37 a.m. -Dade police said in a news release shared with PEOPLE.
Moments later, police say a man in a vehicle pulled up next to hers and opened fire on the minivan. The man, later identified as Bancroft’s 41-year-old ex-boyfriend Michael Andres Pineda Lozano, then turned the gun on himself and died by suicide, the release said.
A Miami-Dade police sergeant who was driving in the area at the time responded to the scene after hearing gunshots, police said. He reportedly arrived to find the woman and child dead in the minivan and the man dead on the passenger side of the van.
Police said the 4-year-old boy was Bancroft’s son and had no relationship with the shooter.
Bancroft most recently served as director of regulatory affairs at the Jackson Health System, according to her LinkedIn profile. Her profile also states that she graduated in 2022 with a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Central Florida.
Bancroft had worked at the hospital since 2015 and was an experienced nurse, according to a company statement obtained by the Miami Herald.
“Odalys has been a valued member of our team, known for her unwavering dedication, kindness and exceptional talent,” Carlos Migoya, president and CEO of Jackson Health, said in the statement.
Theodore’s aunt said the family celebrated his pre-K graduation just days before the murders. “They didn’t deserve to die this way,” the aunt, who requested anonymity, told WSVN.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family with funeral costs.
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“Odalys’ family is deeply devastated by the sudden loss of her and her beloved son, Theodore,” wrote Olga Kovtoun, fundraiser organizer.
“She was a beacon of kindness and love, and those fortunate enough to know her will remember her as a remarkable wife and devoted mother. Their lives have been forever changed by this heartbreaking tragedy.”
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or visit thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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