JENSEN BEACH, FL – Authorities in Martin County have charged a local man with second-degree murder after his fiancée was fatally shot at the storage facility where the two were living, investigators said.

Javier Saenz, 43, is accused of shooting 55-year-old Tonya Sidebottom early Sunday morning at the Tonya Sidebottom Custom Sewing unit on NE Candice Avenue. Deputies say Sidebottom lived and worked at the facility with Saenz.

According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Saenz waited approximately 10 minutes after the shooting before dialing 911. Sidebottom, while still alive when deputies arrived, told investigators that help was not called immediately after she was wounded.

Emergency dispatchers who received the call around 12:30 a.m. reported hearing screams in the background with a woman yelling about a gunshot. Deputies arrived at the scene soon after and found Sidebottom suffering from a single wound to her chest. She was provided medical attention but later died from her injuries.

During the recorded 911 call, Saenz reportedly acknowledged shooting Sidebottom in the chest. Authorities say his statements on the call directly implicated him in the incident.

In addition to murder charges, Saenz faces allegations of preventing Sidebottom from making an emergency call. Investigators also discovered the couple’s residence was inside the storage facility unit, an arrangement reportedly permitted by Sidebottom’s business.

Further investigation revealed Saenz has a prior history with law enforcement. He was previously arrested in an aggravated assault case involving a handgun. In addition, a risk protection order was issued against him by Port St. Lucie police last year, leading to the temporary seizure of several firearms.

When deputies executed a search warrant at the scene, they recovered three firearms, including the weapon authorities believe was used in the shooting. According to court records, although the risk protection order on Saenz’s firearms was scheduled to expire in April 2025, at least some of those guns were present at the time of the incident.

Martin County officials say Saenz was taken into custody without incident. He remains held on the pending charges as the investigation continues.