Woman shot, killed by ex-husband in Deltona, deputies say: 'Senseless act of violence'

Woman shot, killed by ex-husband in Deltona

A woman is dead after she was shot by her ex-husband in Volusia County early Monday morning, authorities said. The suspect later died at a local hospital after shooting himself, deputies said. Child discovers mother's body

DELTONA, Fla. - A woman is dead after she was shot by her ex-husband in Volusia County early Monday morning, authorities said. The suspect later died at a local hospital after shooting himself, deputies said.

Child discovers mother's body

What we know:

Authorities say 38-year-old Ashley Vaia, a mother of three, was shot and killed early Monday morning in her home on Parma Drive in Deltona. According to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, her ex-husband, 33-year-old Samuel Vaia, was the shooter.

After the attack, Vaia led deputies on a chase that ended in Flagler County, where he crashed his SUV and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Ashley Vaia

This tragedy occurred just a week after Samuel Vaia was arrested for allegedly attacking Ashley Vaia at the same home. He was released on bond with orders to surrender his firearms and stay away from his ex-wife.

Suspect leads deputies on chase

Authorities used technology to track the vehicle, which was found heading north on Interstate 95, traveling at speeds over 100 mph, they said.

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The man accused in a deadly shooting in Deltona was arrested after crashing his vehicle near the Toll Bridge in Flagler County early Monday, authorities said. (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)

Several law enforcement agencies chased Samuel Vaia, and used stop sticks, as a sheriff's office helicopter flew overhead.

Vaia crashed the vehicle and flipped over at around 3:21 a.m. near Palm Harbor Parkway and Hammock Dunes Parkway in Palm Coast. He was extricated from the vehicle and taken to a local hospital for a reported self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the sheriff's office said. He was later pronounced dead.

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The Volusia County Sheriff's Office is investigating a shooting along Parma Drive in Deltona on March 31, 2025.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not disclosed whether Samuel Vaia had turned in his firearms as required by his bond conditions, and it's unclear how he obtained the weapon used in the alleged shooting. Also, the exact circumstances of his pursuit and the moments leading up to his reported self-inflicted gunshot wound remain under investigation.

Editor's note: If you or someone you know is in a dangerous or abusive situation, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7. You can call 1-800-799-SAFE anytime or text "START" to 88788.

Suspect accused his ex-wife of infidelity

The backstory:

The violence leading up to Monday’s fatal shooting appears to have started at least a week prior.

Samuel Vaia was arrested after showing up at Ashley Vaia’s home in the middle of the night. Her daughter recalled hearing him attacking her mother and intervened, scaring him away.

Samuel Vaia

Law enforcement arrested him just a few houses down at his father’s residence. He was released on bond with conditions meant to prevent further harm. However, just days later, the situation escalated into a deadly encounter.

Dig deeper:

Prior to the deadly shooting, Samuel Vaia was arrested on March 23 on a battery charge for an incident involving Ashley after he accused her of cheating on him, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

She told law enforcement that she and Samuel had been trying to reconcile their relationship, and he still had a key to her house due to a shared custody agreement for their child.

During the incident, Ashley told deputies that Samuel allegedly grabbed her, pushed her into a bathroom, closed the door, and continued accusing her of infidelity. She attempted to call 911 by yelling into her phone but was unable to, as Samuel reportedly covered her mouth. He left suddenly after Ashley called out for another daughter who was inside the house.

Samuel was booked into the Volusia County jail, then posted bond and was released the following evening, authorities said.

‘Senseless act of violence’

What they're saying:

Neighbor Hector Colón recalled his last conversation with Samuel Vaia, which was roughly 12 hours before he is believed to have killed his ex-wife.

"You could see that something was bothering him," he said.

Ashley Vaia’s daughter called 911 early Monday morning. She was in the home when the shots rang out Monday morning, trapped in her room as she feared the worst.

"I’m scared! I just heard the gunshots… I heard glass shatter...Oh my God, I can’t breathe."

The 911 operator asks, "Have you spoken to your mom?" to which the daughter replies, "No, I don’t know where she is."

Sheriff Mike Chitwood expressed frustration over the case.

"[A] domestic violence injunction is just this, and [a] protection order is just this: it's a piece of paper. It's never going to keep any woman safe when somebody is hell-bent to kill you. And clearly, this guy was hell-bent on killing her," he explained.

For Ashley Vaia’s daughter, the horror of witnessing her mother’s assault just days earlier became an unbearable reality.

"This is really a tragic, tragic story," the sheriff said.

Dr. Janie Lacy, a licensed psychotherapist, says women are at their highest risk of becoming domestic violence victims during post-separation and post-divorce periods. She said that if abuse goes unreported, statistically, it escalates.

"Approximately one in three females will be homicide victims and that are killed by intimate partners."

Ashley Vaia’s family members tell FOX 35's Hannah Mackenzie they are heartbroken but are also angry. They want to know why Samuel Vaia was released in the first place. They said Ashley’s death was preventable.

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