What we know about the Roseville couple facing murder charges after 7-year-old killed, 5-year-old hurt
By Michelle Bandur
Click here for updates on this story
ROSEVILLE, Calif. (KCRA) — A mother and her former police officer boyfriend are scheduled for their arraignment on Christmas Eve in Placer County court, after a young girl was killed and another injured at a Roseville home, according to police.
Jessica Savangsy, 26, and Retoquel Dupree, 27, are charged with murder, conspiracy and child abuse, accused of killing Savangsy’s 7-year-old daughter and hurting her 5-year-old daughter at their home in the Fiddyment Ranch area.
After getting a 911 call from an adult about the 7-year-old girl being unresponsive, officers discovered the injured girls at their home just after 7:30 a.m. on Monday, with the older child later dying at the hospital. The 5-year-old girl is still in the hospital. Dupree’s two children were found unharmed and asleep in the home.
Neighbors expressed disbelief over the alleged family violence occurring in their quiet neighborhood. Neighbors said they heard children screaming in the past.
“We heard some odd noises here and there… like kids yelling, but who knows if that was it or just some other kids; if it’s just kids playing or maybe something more malicious was going on,” neighbor Daniel James said.
The couple was already in legal trouble, having been arrested in early October for conspiracy and theft from several stores at the Roseville Galleria. Savangsy is facing petty theft charges and Dupree is facing a weapons charge.
On another matter, Dupree, a former Citrus Heights police officer, is suing the city for wrongful termination from August 2021, alleging race discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, which he claims caused him emotional and financial distress.
Dupree is currently on administrative leave as a community safety officer at Sierra College. He started the job in the spring of 2024 but was put on leave in early October when he and Savangsy were first arrested.
Neighbors are shocked and saddened by the events.
“It makes you think you never know who you think you know or your neighbors around you,” said Michelle Stepp. “That makes me really nervous.”
The crime scene tape at the home has been replaced by flowers, candles and a small memorial.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.