PSLPD: suspect planned to burn home with himself, wife, 3 children inside

Port St Lucie, Fl -Here is the update directly from the Port St Lucie Police regarding this incident.

Port St. Lucie Police Department Officer Involved Shooting

On September 28th, 2024, at about 3:08 PM, PSLPD responded to a home in the 600 block of NW Marion Ave. in reference to an in-progress volatile domestic violence incident.

The complainant, the grandmother of the 3 children inside the residence (6-year-old triplets) and the mother of the adult female victim, told dispatchers that the 3 children were yelling to her from the second story of the residence that “daddy was hitting mommy,” that “mommy was not OK,” and that “she could not move.” According to the complainant, the children were scared, were crying, and were screaming to her for help. The complainant was outside of the house, but could not get into the house as there was a white minivan blocking the front door and other exterior doors into the home had been barricaded with wood.

Two officers initially arrived on scene, 44-year-old Officer Christina Horne, who had just completed the Field Training Program and was on her first day of her solo assignment along with 27-year-old Officer Cody Daignault, a 7-year law enforcement veteran. Upon their arrival, the 2 officers contacted the grandmother outside. Officers could hear the children scream that “daddy was killing mommy,” so the decision was made to make entry into the home under the exigent circumstances. Officers climbed over the white minivan and entered the home via the unlocked front door.

38-year-old Sergeant Salvador Garcia, a 12-year veteran and SWAT sniper with PSLPD arrived on scene shortly after the other two officers.

As all 3 officers were inside the home, they could hear the suspect, later identified as 50-year-old Paul Simon Fialho, and the adult female victim screaming in the garage. The officers attempted to enter the garage through the laundry room, but the laundry room door was barricaded with the washer and dryer from the garage side. The officers noticed a large refrigerator blocking a hallway that led to a bathroom. The suspect peeked out of the bathroom door, so the officers moved the refrigerator so they could pursue him. The officers made entry through the unlocked bathroom door and discovered that it connected to the garage. The sergeant was in the lead through the narrow bathroom and confronted the suspect in the garage, which had been converted into a living space. The suspect quickly armed himself with a propane tank and a lighter. The female victim was in the same room with zip ties around her hands and neck. The sergeant ordered the suspect to drop the items and get on the ground, but the suspect refused. Smelling that the propane tank was emitting propane and seeing that the suspect had a large red lighter in his hand, the sergeant fired multiple rounds at the suspect, ending the threat. The suspect sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and was pronounced deceased shortly thereafter.

The officers evacuated the female victim and her 3 children to safety.

A perimeter was set around the home and nearby homes were evacuated for safety due to the propane release until the home was declared safe.

Other flammable items found in the garage living space where a second propane tank near the laundry room door, a red gasoline can filled with liquid, and several lanterns filled with liquid.

The liquid contents have yet to be lab tested.

The female victim sustained minor injuries from the zip ties around her wrists and neck. The 3 children were unharmed. All of them were transported to a local hospital where they were treated and released.

The 3 officers involved were uninjured, but they were also transported to a local hospital out of precaution and were released that night.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was contacted and took over the investigation of the officer involved shooting.

All 3 officers are currently on administrative leave with pay which is standard operating procedure in officer involved shootings.


Comments

2 responses to “PSLPD: suspect planned to burn home with himself, wife, 3 children inside”

  1. Stephanie Avatar
    Stephanie

    Thank you to LE for their quick response and for saving this mother and her children and for diffusing this difficult situation.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks for the comment. I’ve spoken to numerous people who knew the family. The poor woman was one week post op total hip surgery

      Like

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