MIAMI, FL — A family member says she witnessed the deadly shooting of an ex-couple in northeast Miami-Dade after going to an apartment to help pick up belongings. Deputies found a man and a woman dead Wednesday at an apartment complex near Northeast 14th Avenue and 171st Street.
According to Maria Espinosa, her cousin Denis Polo Fuentes and Franky Paba had separated a couple of months earlier. Espinosa said she went with Fuentes to the apartment when the pair returned to collect her things, and what began as a routine visit quickly turned violent.
Investigators said the man shot and killed the woman before turning the gun on himself. Miami-Dade deputies have not publicly released additional details about what led up to the shooting.
Family says a simple pickup turned into a deadly confrontation
Espinosa said Paba let them into the apartment, and the situation changed within moments. She recalled him coming out of a room with a gun and locking the door, then saying that nobody was leaving alive.
In her account, she tried to escape as the confrontation escalated. Espinosa said Paba fired a shot while Fuentes pleaded with him not to hurt anyone and asked to get her belongings and leave.
The family member said Fuentes was not with anyone else and only wanted to end the relationship and retrieve her things. That account has not been independently detailed by deputies, but it matches the broad outline of the fatal encounter investigators described.
Deputies say both victims were found dead at the scene
Authorities responded to the apartment complex on Wednesday and found two people dead when they arrived. Investigators said the man shot the woman and then died by suicide, leaving both victims at the scene.
The incident took place in a residential area of northeast Miami-Dade, a section of the county where deputies regularly respond to domestic calls and other emergencies in apartment buildings and nearby neighborhoods. In this case, the shooting left investigators to piece together the final moments from witness accounts and the scene itself.
Officials have not said whether anyone else was inside the apartment or whether neighbors heard the gunfire. They also have not released the names of the dead in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
Espinosa says she tried to stop the violence before escaping
Espinosa described a terrifying scene in which she said she tried to get away as the man threatened to kill everyone inside. She said she heard her cousin begging him to stop and asking to leave peacefully with her belongings.
She said the moments that followed are still hard to process. In her words, she saw her cousin killed in front of her before the gunman killed himself.
Espinosa said she was still shaking after the shooting and had not yet fully processed what happened. Her account gives a firsthand view of how quickly a private dispute inside an apartment became a fatal domestic confrontation.
Cousin remembers Fuentes as hopeful after moving from Colombia
Espinosa said Fuentes had been a positive, happy person and had built a life in the United States after moving from Colombia about 10 years ago. She said her cousin had been ready for a new chapter before the relationship ended in tragedy.
That memory stood in sharp contrast to the scene at the apartment complex, where a family visit ended in death. Espinosa said she felt the loss deeply and described the outcome as deeply unfair.
Her comments reflect the shock that often follows domestic violence deaths, especially when relatives are present and become direct witnesses. The emotional toll, she said, remains raw.
Questions remain about any prior protection efforts
Espinosa said Fuentes had tried to get a restraining order, but NBC 6 said it reached out to police and checked court records without finding paperwork or receiving confirmation. That leaves open questions about whether any formal protection request was filed or granted before Wednesday’s shooting.
Police have not provided further public detail about whether there had been previous calls to the apartment, prior threats, or earlier domestic complaints involving the couple. Those are the kinds of questions investigators often examine after a murder-suicide.
If someone is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached by calling 1-800-799-SAFE, visiting thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
Domestic violence warning signs and how to get help
Cases like this often leave families searching for warning signs that might have changed the outcome. In this case, the relationship had reportedly ended months earlier, but the confrontation still turned lethal when the pair met to handle personal belongings.
Advocates say it can be dangerous to meet an abusive or volatile partner alone, especially when there are unresolved conflicts or attempts to retrieve property. Planning a public exchange, bringing another trusted person, or asking law enforcement for a safety escort can sometimes reduce risk.
Even when a relationship seems to be ending, experts say danger can escalate quickly. For anyone in immediate danger, calling 911 is the fastest way to get help.
