Florida police have detained a man after receiving a 911 call in which he confessed to shooting and killing his husband.
The Boynton Beach Police Department said that they arrested George Bereska Jr. Tuesday evening after emergency dispatchers received two calls around 9:41 p.m. The first was from 66-year-old Benjamin Renwick, Bereska's husband, during which operators could only hear "moaning and the sound of a single gunshot, followed by silence," officials told local outlet WPTV.
The second call came minutes later from Bereska, who told the dispatcher that he and his husband were in a "very bad argument" when he shot Renwick in the chest. When the dispatcher told him to perform aid, Bereska replied: "He's dead."
While there was no signs of a physical alteration at the home when police arrived, officers found three shell casings and a Taurus firearm on the dining room table. Law enforcement detained Bereska, who told them at the station that he had been in "a blackout since 6 p.m." and insisted he was intoxicated. Detectives said that Bereska showed no signs of intoxication, and had no injuries.
Bereska had a prior criminal conviction from when he lived in the state of Maryland, WPTV reports. He was indicted by a grand jury for the second-degree sexual assault of a twelve year-old boy in June and July of 1995, which Bereska pled down to a third-degree sexual offense.
Julie Aldrich, a friend of both Renwick and Bereska, told the outlet that she's been "in total shock" since learning of the incident. The news also impacted members of the American Legion, which the couple was very active in, with John Harvey describing Renwick as "just a really good guy."
"I thought George was, too,” he said.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, there is help available. TheNational Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 800-799-7233. Other resources can be foundhere.