JENSEN BEACH, Fla. — The Martin County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the shooting death of a 55-year-old woman inside a Jensen Beach storage facility late Saturday night into early Sunday morning.
Deputies said the victim, Tonya Sidebottom, was shot once in the chest by her fiancé, Javier Saenz, 43, inside a Jensen storage facility where she operated a custom upholstery sewing business.
According to investigators, Saenz called 911 asking for medical assistance. Deputies and Martin County Fire Rescue arrived at the scene.
"Our fire rescue dispatchers could hear a lady screaming in the background: 'Gunshot, gunshot.' She didn’t say that he shot her, but they could ascertain that there was a woman in dire distress," Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said.
Sidebottom was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead despite life-saving efforts.
Saenz was taken into custody and is being held in the Martin County jail.
Police said while Saenz implicated himself in the shooting, Sidebottom, who was still alive when deputies arrived, did not identify him as her shooter.
A search warrant later uncovered three guns from the storage unit.
Friends of Sidebottom are reeling from the shocking news of her death.
"She was a sweet girl. Even when she was down and out, she would do anything for anybody," said Chris Ek, a close friend.
Sidebottom's friends shared that she had recently been working hard to get her life back on track, having launched her upholstery business, creating custom furniture for yachts in the county. Additionally, she was a strong advocate for homeless women, having experienced homelessness herself.
"It's just a big loss," Ek said.
In 2024, a risk protection order was placed on Saenz following a violent encounter with another person. While police did not confirm if the risk protection order was still in place, they said it would have made it illegal for Saenz to have weapons in his possession.
Detectives are still working to determine the motive for the shooting.
Saenz faces a second-degree murder charge.
