The bodies of a man, his 6-year-old daughter and dog were found inside a minivan Thursday in what Davie Police are calling a murder-suicide.
Police say Paul Andrade, 30, of Hollywood, apparently carried out the killings through carbon monoxide poisoning, possibly because he was upset his ex-wife had recently remarried.
He and his wife had divorced about a year ago, police said. Andrade had regular visitation with his daughter, including an overnight visit with the girl Wednesday, police said.
“It appears that he routinely saw his child,” said Davie Police Capt. Dale Engle. “It was just that he was upset [his ex-wife] remarried.”
Police said they found a suicide note at Andrade’s home.
Suspect Shot During Hialeah Fruit Stand Holdup Charged: Police
On Thursday, the bodies of Andrade, the girl and dog were found inside Andrade’s blue minivan, police said. The vehicle was parked outside his ex-wife’s apartment, police said.
“He attached the hose to the exhaust of the van, and the other end of the hose into the rear window,” Engle said.
Two teenagers found the bodies, police said. Tiffani, who did not give her last name, said she knew right away from what she saw that carbon monoxide could kill the people inside the van.
"When the mother took out the daughter I knew that she was dead, because she was not moving, she wasn’t anything," the teenager said.
About 6:44 a.m., officers responded to the incident in the 3700 block of Northwest 74th Avenue. The girl's mother, overcome by the tragedy, had to be hospitalized, Engle said.
“She was ultimately transported to the hospital,” he said. “She was very distraught."
One neighbor said she unsuccessfully tried reviving the girl through CPR.
“I’ve been trained to do this,” said Leila Lacharite, the neighbor. “But I never had to deal with it on a real-life experience.”
Lacharite focused on the girl as she discussed the deaths. “It’s one thing to take your own life, but that little girl, maybe 8 or 9 years old, she didn't have a choice,” she said.
Lacharite said she suspects the girl trusted her father as they died.
“She loves him,” Lacharite said. “That’s her dad, and he said, ‘Come with me.’ She trustingly went with him. She didn't have a choice, and that really bothers me.”
Carolyn Jones, Andrade’s neighbor in Hollywood, said Andrade appeared to be a good father, based on the way Andrade’s daughter behaved.
“She was like really happy,” Jones said. “She was jolly.”
The minivan was still parked by Andrade's ex-wife's home Thursday night.
A makeshift memorial was set up outside the apartment. Becky Nall, who doesn't know the family, brought a stuffed animal to honor the young victim.
"If that was what he wanted to do then he should've done it, but the little girl and the dog didn't need to go with him," she said.
More Local News
