A distraught Texas dad released a heartbreaking statement after his ex-wife killed their 4-year-old daughter in a horrific murder-suicide — as it was revealed the pair weren’t home alone when the shots rang out.
Cibelle Savella, 35, was supposed to hand over her daughter, Vivian, to her ex-husband, Aaron Savella, on Tuesday night, but instead fatally shot her in their Houston home and then turned the gun on herself, according to the Houston Police Department and a family attorney.
Attorney Stefani Shapiro, who represents the grieving dad, told The Post that Aaron never alleged Cibelle physically abused Vivian, but believed the little girl was “potentially being emotionally abused” by her mother.
“Our family is devastated. Vivian was four years old. She was loved without limit by her father, Aaron, and by everyone whose life she touched. There are no words for what has been taken from us,” Shapiro said in a statement on behalf of Aaron and his family.
“Aaron did everything the law asks of a parent who is trying to protect his child. He trusted the courts. He followed every order. He waited for the process to work. On Tuesday, a judge placed Vivian in his primary care, and she was supposed to come home to him that evening. She never did.”
The statement went on to say “fathers who fight quietly, patiently, and within the law to protect their children, their stories are rarely told.”
Cops rushed to the home around 5:45 on Tuesday night and discovered little Vivian dead and Cibelle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on the third floor of the residence.
Cibelle’s new husband, restaurateur Greg Kubala, and a babysitter were inside the residence when the shots rang out and frantically forced their way into the child’s room, according to cops and the Daily Mail.
They are not believed to have played any role in the shootings.
Cibelle was initially hospitalized but died a day later, police said.
“There was a custody hearing earlier today that didn’t go well for the mother,” Houston Police Lieutenant Larry Crowson said after Tuesday’s tragedy, per ABC13.
Originally from Brazil, Cibelle divorced Aaron in November 2024 after four years of marriage, leading to a bitter legal battle over their daughter.
Aaron was given exclusive rights to make decisions about Vivian’s care during a fateful Tuesday court hearing, according to documents obtained by the Mail.
The mom was only permitted to spend time with Vivian under the supervision of a Texas-based group, Guardians of Hope, Harris County Judge Audrie Lawton-Evans ruled.
Cibelle, whose new husband owns a successful Chick-fil-A franchise, was also barred from speaking to the tot in her native language, Portuguese, unless a supervisor was also fluent in the language, the outlet reported.
She was ordered to pay Aaron child support, contribute to half of their daughter’s out-of-pocket medical expenses and was not allowed to attend her child’s school activities or consent to her medical treatment.
Previous filings obtained by the outlet showed the parents were also not allowed to disparage one another in front of Vivian.
Cibelle’s attorney’s office declined The Post’s requests for comment.
