Tampa police officers continue to search for missing Florida woman Sylvia Pagan, who vanished Sunday with a man who took his own life when questioned by officers.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Pagan was reported missing Sunday evening after her partner, Jovanni Steffani, 38, abducted her and her 9-year-old daughter. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement canceled the alert an hour after issuing it as the girl was safely located in Suwannee County.
On Monday, police found Steffani dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Suwannee County. Steffani reportedly shot himself during negotiations with Tampa police.
Authorities remain concerned for Pagan, who is still unaccounted for.
“We’re working closely with the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to use any sort of investigative means that we can to locate Sylvia with our ultimate goal to bring Sylvia home safely,” Major Patrick Messmer, Commander of Tampa Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, said, according to News Channel 8.
“So we’re asking anybody who might have seen Sylvia or Jovanni Saturday night into Sunday morning to please call the Tampa Police Department.”
Police think Pagan and Steffani left Pagan’s residence on Altman Street, near the University of South Florida in Tampa, in a white Ford F-150 around 10 a.m. on Sunday. Eight hours later, law enforcement received the report of Pagan and her daughter being missing.
“Briana was recovered unharmed and at that point, the Suwannee County Sheriff’s deputies began negotiations with Jovanni in order to try and take him into custody,” a TPD investigator said.
Pagan is described as standing 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing 155 pounds. She was reportedly wearing a dress at the time of her disappearance.
This story is developing…
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[Featured image: Sylvia Pagan and Jovanni Caceres Steffani/Tampa Police Department]
