Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Toledo area

NEW BAVARIA -- The Henry County Sheriff's Office received a call of a suspicious vehicle at 10:36 a.m. Monday on County Road 16-A in New Bavaria.

After responding to the scene, they discovered two deceased bodies in the vehicle.

In the front seat, they found 47-year-old Timothy Brown. In the back seat was his daughter, 10-year-old Alexandra Brown. They were both dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

The license plate of the Buick vehicle and the drivers license of Timothy Brown were both registered to Manastee County in Florida.

The Manastee County, FL Sheriff's Department was able to shed some light on a possible motive in the case.

"They filled us in on some possible custody issues that they had down there between him and his former wife," says Henry County Sheriff Michael Bodenbender.

Bodenbender says Timothy Brown does have family ties to New Bavaria, but was told Brown had not made contact with them, so they don't know how long he's been here. He says the family had no idea he was even here, and can provide police with little information.

He also says incidents like this are rare in their rural Ohio area. "Suicide itself is not a common thing, but it's not something we don't see...The 10-year-old is something we don't see very often," admits Bodenbender.

There is reportedly no indication that the child traveled here with her father against her will.

According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, in 2009, Timothy Brown was arrested for domestic battery at the home he shared with his wife and daughter on Bridlewood Court in Parrish, FL.

According to the arrest report, Alexandra's mother, Nicole Brown, had left town unexpectedly for a weekend, returning home to find her husband had changed all the locks on the doors. Timothy Brown told her she was not welcome to return or take their daughter, who was 7 years old at the time.

Nicole Brown allegedly convinced Alexandra to unlock the door, pushing past Brown to reach her. Brown's arrest was based on an accusation that he pushed her away, injuring her arm, hip and eye. The battery charge was later dropped because of a lack of evidence.

Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday morning.