The suspect in a quadruple homicide in Lake Wales early Tuesday morning was killed in a shootout with police as they attempted to take him into custody Wednesday.
According to Lake Wales Police Department officials, Al Joseph Stenson fled to Slumberland Motel in Sanford, after shooting and killing a mother and her three children.
While police have released few details about the crimes, Stenson was described by police as the boyfriend of one of the victims. Police said they all knew each other. The names of the victims were not released by police because of Marsy’s Law.
But The Ledger learned Wednesday that the mother who died in the shooting was Marlene Pizarro, a teacher at Lake Wales High School, and that her daughter, Ariana Pizarro, 17, a senior at the school and member of the girls weightlifting team who was set to graduate in two weeks.
The other victims, both children of Marlene Pizarro, were 21 and 11, but their names were not confirmed as of Wednesday afternoon. Lake Wales High School announced the deaths over the school address system on Wednesday morning.
Marlene Pizarro’s Facebook page on Wednesday showed several pictures of her with Stenson.
Officers originally responded to a medical call at the residence on Tuesday evening and found the four bodies of a mother and her three children – one adult and two juveniles – dead from apparent gunshot wounds, police said.
After Stenson, 38, was located in Sanford, detectives worked with Sanford Police Department and Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in an attempt to take him into custody.
“Stenson made statements that he would kill himself or force law enforcement to kill him,” a Lake Wales Police Department release stated.
Stenson was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said Stenson, fled the scene about 5 a.m. Tuesday after the shooting at the Dawnlight Drive in Sunrise Apartments. Family members discovered the victims later in the evening and then notified law enforcement via a call to 911 at 8:51 p.m.
According to Seminole County Sheriff Dennis Lemma, at about 2 a.m. Wednesday police received reports of Stenson’s vehicle being seen across the street from the Slumberland where his brother was staying. About 6 a.m. the SWAT team arrived on the scene and negotiations between police officials and the suspect’s brother began and went on “for hours.”
Negotiators were successful in getting the brother to come out of the hotel, Lemma said, but Stenson refused to surrender.
“At one time, we were able to talk him into putting the handgun down and step away from it,” Lemma said.
After he stepped away, Lemma said Stenson was shot with a “less lethal option” – a foam projectile.
But Lemma said the projectile had little effect on the Stenson and “the suspect immediately went for the gun on the ground,” prompting members of SWAT and the Sanford police department to open fire.
“As soon as the suspect hit the ground, they immediately administered CPR,” Lemma said.
“This guy is a murderer, a threat and he did not fully comply with the orders to walk far enough away from the firearm where we felt like he could not get to it in a matter of time when he presented a threat to the officers who were on the scene,” Lemma said. “He was close enough in proximity to the firearm where he posed a threat to the officers who were on the scene.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is among the law enforcement agencies that helped identify the suspect.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Ricky Hartwell with the Lake Wales Police Department at 863-678-4223. Or, if you would like to stay anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward through Heartland Crime Stoppers, call 800-226 TIPS (8477).