On Friday, January 17, a 54-year-old Florida woman, Paula Ribeiro, was found dead inside her burned-down home. When inspecting her body, authorities found troubling evidence that suggested that Ribeiro may have been murdered before the house ignited. Ribeiro's family is suspicious of her boyfriend, who has a troubled history with Ribeiro.
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According to WSVN, Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue (BSFR) units arrived at the Northwest Fourth Avenue house in Deerfield Beach, Florida, at around 4:30 a.m. "Upon arrival, firefighters were faced with very, very heavy smoke and flames coming from one side of a duplex," BSFR Batallion Chief Michael Kane said.
However, neighbors reported that they heard screams coming from the house before it was set ablaze. Moreover, authorities would then communicate to the family that the circumstances of her death and the fire itself were suspicious, launching an investigation. "They said from the way she was found, she wasn't fully burned, and there was evidence she was murdered before the fire," Kimberly Silva, Paula Ribeiro's daughter, said, according to CBS News.
According to Silva, her mother had previous issues with her unidentified boyfriend who she lived with. Silva said that the boyfriend was threatening her mother and that she previously moved out of the house one week before her tragic death.
An Inferno
Many neighbors and witnesses talked with WSVN and recalled the nightmare-like nature of the fire. "I could see flames in the sky," Alicia Baiocchi, a neighbor, said. "It was just orange, every little - it was four little windows, and it was just orange."
"I thought it was in my driveway. I have six kids. We grabbed the newborn, put her in the car seat. It was intense. It happened very fast, yeah, and it was completely like - there was no way someone could survive that."
A male resident also detailed how the fire started. "I woke up around 5 in the morning. I heard like a big boom, and I looked outside my window, and I see the house right in front engulfed in flames, and I see all the neighbors outside," he said.
While police continue to investigate the incident and have issued warnings regarding Ribeiro's boyfriend, Ribeiro's family and loved ones are devastated. "How she died is terrible. I can't work," David Liz, Ribeiro's close friend, told CBS News.
Her family, according to Silva, remembers Paula Ribeiro fondly and is heartbroken after learning about her death. "We have two siblings in the military on their way;" Silva said. She just lived for her kids and church."
