A mother of three was allegedly stabbed to death in front of her youngest children by the little ones’ father despite a restraining order she had against him.
Police in Salinas, California, believe that Rodrigo Bravo, 32, made his vicious and fatal assault on Eleni Tavau, 30, at approximately 3 p.m. in her home June 25. A press release from the local police department said the mother of three was unresponsive when officers reported to the stabbing’s location near the 100 block of Natividad Rd.
Police medically tended to Tavau at the scene of the stabbing — in front of her two toddlers — but ultimately to no avail. The mother of three succumbed to her injuries at a nearby hospital.
Facebook user John Lopez claimed to be the father of Tavau’s eldest child, a 10-year-old daughter named Michelle-Liana. Lopez didn’t specify whether the tween was at the crime scene. He did, however, ask that prayers be sent up for his daughter and the ones for Tavau’s other children.
Source: Courtesy of / Facebook
The late mother’s sister, Alex Carr, set up a GoFundMe with the goal of $18,000 to give the Tavau “a proper burial back home in Samoa.” The fundraiser has reached just over $5,400 at the time of MADAMENOIRE‘s reporting.
Tavau’s tragic and disturbing case is an ongoing investigation by Salinas’ authorities.
The suspect, Bravo, was charged with the murder of his children’s mother in addition to felony child endangerment, the violation of probation and the violation of a domestic violence restraining order.
The 32-year-old turned himself in June 25 at around 5:30 p.m., just two and a half hours after he allegedly stabbed Tavau. Monterey County Jail has had Bravo in custody on a $1 million bail, according to Kron4‘s June 28 coverage.
Anyone with information about the California mother of three’s untimely death and/or Bravo’s involvement is asked to contact Detective Pete Gomez at 831-758-7162. The anonymous tip line for the Salinas Police Department is 831-775-4222.
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