A one-month-old baby boy has been left orphaned after his parents, both Florida sheriff’s deputies, took their own lives within days of each other.

Clayton Osteen died in hospital on January 2 this year following an attempt to kill himself, St Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara said in a statement posted on Facebook.

Two days later his partner Victoria Pacheco took her own life ‘in the wake of Deputy Osteen’s death’, it continued.

Paying tribute to the tragic couple, Mr Mascara wrote: ‘Words cannot express the tremendous loss we all feel after losing these two members of our sheriff’s office family.

‘As sheriff, I saw these two deputies as young, ambitious, and a great compliment to my already amazing group of professionals.’

Heartbroken friends have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for the couple’s son Jayce.

It says: ‘Clayton and Victoria were joy-filled, first-time parents excited about their growing family, enamoured with their baby Jayce, and so in love with each other.

‘Tragically, for reasons completely unknown and totally out of character, Clayton took his own life December 31, 2021.

‘Reeling from the shock of loss, Victoria took her own life two days later.’

The sheriff’s office has not said what may have prompted the suicides, but Mr Mascara highlighted the ‘stress’ faced by officers and those whom they serve, ‘which can sometimes be very challenging’.

He wrote: ‘While it’s impossible for us to fully comprehend the private circumstances leading up to this devastating loss, we pray that this tragedy becomes a catalyst for change, a catalyst to help ease the stigma surrounding mental well-being and normalize the conversation about the challenges so many of us face on a regular basis.’

Officers were called to an attempted suicide shortly before midnight on New Year’s Eve, according to the statement.

When they arrived, they learned that the person involved was one of their deputies, Mr Osteen, who was off duty at the time.

He survived the attempt, but on January 2 his family ‘made the very difficult decision’ to remove him from life support.

The statement, posted on January 4, said the sheriff’s office were informed that his partner Ms Pacheco, with whom he had a one-month-old son, had also taken her own life that morning.

Mr Osteen was a retired US Marine who previously served as a rifleman with the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.

Friends have been sharing memories and photos of the couple on social media.

Paying tribute to Mr Osteen on Facebook, Ray Tourville wrote: ‘A true brother lost his internal battle. I struggle with finding the words to write that even remotely does him justice.

‘I’m incredibly sorry that you felt this was your only option.’

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