Calls to 911 made from home of Bradenton accused murderer Andres Avalos in months leading to slayings

MANATEE -- Calls to 911 from the home of accused triple murderer Andres "Andy" Avalos Jr. detail how he reported one of his guns stolen and other episodes in the family's life in the months leading up to the slayings.

During one Sept. 5 call about a missing gun, a 911 operator asked if someone had broken into the home, according to a recording of the call obtained from the Manatee County Emergency Communication Center.

"I don't know. The gun is missing. Nobody knows where it is. It was stolen," Avalos said on the call. "I have people that work for me here and there and people know that I have guns."

Avalos, 33, is charged with three counts of second-degree murder.

Investigators say Avalos hanged his wife from a cord Dec. 4 in the laundry room of their northwest Bradenton home, then beat and shot her. He also gunned down his neighbor, Denise Potter, 46, who apparently was visiting at his home, investigators said.

After the attacks, investigators say he dropped his

4-year-old son off at daycare and went to the Walmart on State Road 64 where he left his vehicle. Avalos then took a taxi to Bayshore Baptist Church, 6502 14th St. W., where investigators and witnesses say he shot and killed the Rev. James "Tripp" Battle, 31.

At 9:39 a.m. Sept. 5, Avalos called 911 about the missing gun.

"It's not an emergency. I need to speak to someone about a missing gun," Avalos told the operator. "I was told to call 911. I don't really know the number to call."

He said he had noticed it missing two days beforehand.

A deputy met with Avalos at his home to file the a larceny report for his Winchester Glock Model 30 .45-caliber handgun and a box of ammunition. The report listed the time during which the gun was stolen between Aug. 15 and Sept. 3.

"He suspected that his wife, Amber, may have taken it and given it away to an unknown male friend," the deputy reported. "He asked his wife, but she denied it."

Amber Avalos was not available to be interviewed, the deputy reported.

The sheriff's office will not say whether investigators think the gun reported stolen was the one used in the slayings. Although known to have several guns and to always carry a weapon, Avalos only had one gun on him at the time of his arrest. The caliber of the gun found in his possession matched casings found at the scene, according to the sheriff's office.

Three other times this year, Amber Avalos called 911 from her residence.

In the early morning July 4, Amber Avalos made two 911 calls to report hearing someone outside. The first call was made at 4 a.m.

"Our dog keeps acting crazy. We keep hearing someone around the house," she told an operator. "I just don't know what is going on."

An operator told her deputies were being dispatched to investigate.

At 4:31 a.m., she called 911 again.

"Our dog was just growling, so I didn't know if the police came, if they're here," Amber Avalos said. "I'm scared to come out."

The operator told her deputies had been out, but didn't knock on her door, and they could be sent back out.

"That would probably make me feel a little better. I'm scared and I can't come out of the room," she replied. "My dog, he rarely growls and he's growling."

Her husband was not mentioned during any of the calls.

On Oct. 9, she called 911 because she said she didn't know what else to do with her teenager son.

"I have a 15-year-old who is not listening. He's throwing things around," she told an operator. "I can't say anything to him. He just throws everything around, starts punching everything around the house, tells me to shut up."

The 911 operator asked her several questions before connecting her with the sheriff's office dispatch.

"It happens about every other day, but I just don't know what to do with him," Avalos said.

Calls from parents requesting assistance or information about programs for out-of-control teens is common, according to sheriff's office spokesman Dave Bristow.

Sheriff's office records indicate one other previous call made from the Avalos home March 25, 2013. Audio from that abandoned 911 call is no longer available from the Manatee County Emergency Communications Center.

Avalos was arrested Saturday after a 51-hour manhunt led by the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and a public plea from his father to turn himself in for the sake of his six children, who were being held in a safe house until his capture. He was arrested in a mobile home park less than two blocks from Bayshore Baptist Church.

After his arrest, Avalos admitted to the slayings, a prosecutor said in court Sunday morning.

He is being held without bond at the Manatee County jail.

Avalos, according to a prosecutor, could still face a more serious charge of first-degree murder, which could carry the death penalty.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter @JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published December 12, 2014 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Calls to 911 made from home of Bradenton accused murderer Andres Avalos in months leading to slayings ."