TAMPA, Fla. — The man believed to have kidnapped a 9-year-old girl and a 34-year-old woman in Tampa died when deputies located and confronted him at a hotel in north Central Florida, according to Tampa police.
A short-lived Amber Alert was issued overnight but was canceled within an hour. The girl did not appear to have any physical injuries but was taken to a local hospital out of an abundance of caution, authorities said.
Police said they quickly located the kidnapping suspect, 38-year-old Jovanni Steffani, at a hotel in Suwannee County, north of Gainesville around 2 a.m.
The woman, 34-year-old Sylvia Pagan, is still missing. Police said they are "deeply concerned for her overall well-being."
Deputies knocked on the door of the hotel room Steffani was believed to be and he answered, according to Major Patrick Messmer, commander of TPD's criminal investigations division. That's when deputies saw the 9-year-old girl inside and took her into their care.
Messmer did not say whether any negotiations were involved or whether there was any incident in getting the girl to approach them. He said the 9-year-old girl didn't know anything about what may have happened to Pagan.
Messmer said Steffani then went into the bathroom, retrieved a gun and held it up to his head. Negotiations went on, Messmer said, as deputies tried to get Steffani to put the gun down and turn himself into their custody instead. About an hour later, Messmer said Steffani shot himself.
Pagan was last seen around 10 a.m. Sunday, May 12, on Altman Street near East Bougainvillea Avenue in Tampa. The neighborhood is near Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and the University of South Florida campus.
Police said their investigation led them to believe Steffani and Pagan spent Saturday night together and left the home around 10 a.m. on Sunday.
While examining the house, Messmer said there was no evidence to indicate Pagan had been hurt there. He also said there was no history of domestic violence at that address.
Pagan is said to be about 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighs about 155 pounds. She has black hair, but the picture provided shows it may at least be partially dyed. She was last seen wearing a dress, but police said they didn't know the color.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Pagan is asked to call the Tampa Police Department at 813-231-6130.
Pagan was listed overnight Monday as part of the brief Amber Alert issued for the 9-year-old girl. Pagan was said to be a "companion adult" and not the suspected abductor. However, the Amber Alert was quickly canceled after the child was found safe.
Pagan wasn't found, prompting the missing and endangered alert from Tampa police.
At the time of the Amber Alert, authorities believed the girl and Pagan may have been abducted by Steffani. He was described as a bald man about 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing 225 pounds. He reportedly had a scar on the left side of his neck.