Images of the vehicle show multiple bullet holes but it is unclear if the gun was fired inside the car and the bullets escaped or if someone shot at Beatrice Saintvil, 27, and her daughter Janelle from outside the vehicle.
The death of a young Miami mother and her 4-year-old child continues to baffle police.
Florida State Troopers discovered Beatrice Saintvil, 27, and her daughter Janelle inside a vehicle shortly before midnight on Friday, according to a spokesperson.
That vehicle was parked in the breakdown lane of the Florida Turnpike just outside Hollywood, said the Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO). A preliminary investigation determined that Saintvil and her child had been in the car for just over 30 minutes when troopers arrived on the scene.
Lifesaving measures were performed on both Saintvil and her daughter. Janelle died on the scene. Her mother died a short time later after being rushed to a local hospital by Hollywood Fire Rescue for emergency surgery, said the BSO.
Saintvil's mother Tatiana Victorin took to social media and GoFundMe to speak about her daughter and granddaughter after their deaths.
"Beatrice and Janelle had touched the lives of many with their warmth, kindness, and unwavering spirit," she wrote on a GoFundMe campaign she started to help with funeral expenses
She also spoke out against false narratives that have circulated about her daughter and granddaughter's deaths.
"Me and my family are hurting bad Beatrice was my first daughter, Janelle my granddaughter," she wrote on social media, where she also urged anyone with information about the shootings to call police and to not feed the flames of speculation. "Please you guys if you have any answers call the number on the hotline. As a grandma and a mother I ask that you guys stop the false stories. Stop the negative messages. No one knows what happened... I ask that you let my princess and her mommy REST IN PEACE."
Police have yet to make an arrest or publicly identify a suspect in the case. Images of the vehicle show multiple bullet holes, but it is unclear if the gun was fired from inside the car and the bullets escaped or if someone shot at the young mother and her daughter from outside the vehicle.
The BSO is now asking the public for any help, and requesting that those with pertinent information contact Detective Ryan Schnakenberg at 954-321-4247 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app.
