US woman kills 4-yr-old, then shoots self dead after losing custody battle to ex-husband

In a tragic incident in Houston, 35-year-old Cibelle Savella allegedly killed her four-year-old daughter, Vivian, and then took her own life. This occurred just hours after a court granted primary custody of Vivian to her ex-husband, Aaron Savella. According to the Houston Police Department and family attorneys, Savella shot the child at their home before turning the gun on herself around 5:45pm on Tuesday.

The mother was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the third floor and was taken to a hospital, where she died a day later.

Aaron, who was devastated by the loss of his daughter, released a statement through his attorney, Stefani Shapiro. The statement expressed deep sorrow over the loss of Vivian, describing the child as being "loved without limit" by her father and by others. It also noted that Aaron had followed every court order and waited for the process to work, only for the judge to place Vivian in his primary care, which never materialized.

During the investigation, it emerged that Savella's new husband, restaurateur Greg Kubala, and a babysitter were present in the house when the shots were fired, though they are not believed to have been involved in the shootings. Police Lieutenant Larry Crowson reported that there was a custody hearing earlier in the day which did not go well for Savella.

Savella, originally from Brazil, divorced her husband in November 2024 after four years of marriage. Their legal dispute over Vivian's custody had been ongoing. Court documents suggest that Aaron was granted exclusive decision-making rights regarding the child's care, while Savella was only permitted visitation under supervision.

Additional restrictions were imposed on her involvement in Vivian's school activities and medical decisions, including a requirement to pay child support and contribute to half of the child's out-of-pocket medical expenses.

The court also prohibited Savella from speaking to Vivian in Portuguese unless a supervisor fluent in the language was present. The reasons behind these restrictions remain unclear. The investigation into the shootings is ongoing.