A relative said the pair had separated before the woman returned to an apartment Wednesday to collect personal belongings.
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A married couple who had separated died Wednesday night in an apparent murder-suicide after the woman returned to a northeast Miami-Dade apartment to retrieve personal belongings, according to investigators and a relative of the man.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office identified the woman as Denis Del Carmen Polo Fuentes, 57, and the man as Franky Paba, 64. Paba’s sister told Local 10 News that the two were married and had been separated. Authorities have described the shooting as domestic but have not released a detailed account of the couple’s history or the circumstances surrounding their separation.
Deputies responded to the Mar-Len Gardens community in the 17000 block of Northeast 14th Avenue at about 7:03 p.m. Oct. 28. Investigators said Polo Fuentes went to the residence to pick up personal items and was allowed inside by Paba.
Once she was inside, investigators said Paba produced a firearm and shot Polo Fuentes. The sheriff’s office said he then used the firearm on himself. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel arrived and determined both were dead.
The incident drew a large law enforcement response to the residential community Wednesday evening and left neighbors confronting a sudden act of violence inside a place they regarded as home. Marcos Mustafa, a resident of the community, told Local 10 News that outsiders could never fully know what was happening inside another person’s mind or heart.
Authorities initially said they were still working to determine the exact relationship between the two people. The sheriff’s office later released their identities, while Paba’s sister publicly described them as a married couple who were going through a separation.
Investigators have not publicly identified a specific motive beyond calling the shooting domestic in nature. They also have not said whether there were prior law enforcement calls involving Paba and Polo Fuentes or whether anyone else was present in the apartment when the shooting occurred.
The fact that Polo Fuentes was at the residence to retrieve personal belongings is part of the official timeline released by investigators. Authorities have not disclosed what items she intended to collect or whether the visit had been arranged in advance.
The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau continues to handle the death investigation. No additional suspects have been identified, and authorities had not announced further findings about events leading up to the shooting as of Thursday afternoon.
Author note: Last updated October 29, 2026.