DEERFIELD BEACH – A grieving family is searching for answers after their loved one, 54-year-old Paula Ribeiro, was found dead inside her burned home early Friday morning.
The fire broke out around 4:30 a.m. at Ribeiro’s duplex on NW 4th Avenue.
While two of her roommates managed to escape, Ribeiro was unaccounted for. Investigators later informed her family that she may have been killed before the fire.
Kimberly Silva, Ribeiro’s daughter, rushed to the scene after learning of the fire.
Speaking about the investigation, she said, “They said from the way she was found, she wasn’t fully burned, and there was evidence she was murdered before the fire.”
The Broward Sheriff’s Office has labeled the fire as suspicious and confirmed that a death investigation is underway. Crime scene investigators were seen working at the scene throughout the day.
Silva revealed that her mother had been having problems with her live-in boyfriend of six months.
She said deputies were called to the home a week ago, prompting her mother to move out temporarily. “He’s been threatening her,” Silva added.
David Liz, a longtime friend who once dated Ribeiro, expressed his sorrow. “How she died is terrible. I can’t work,” he said.
Ribeiro’s family described her as a devoted mother who lived for her children and her church. “We have two siblings in the military on their way. She just lived for her kids and church,” said Silva.
The investigation into Ribeiro’s death and the cause of the fire is ongoing.
